The Legend of Zelda: Child of Time
by Ri2
Summary: Skull Kid has finished his quest and defeated Majora. He has learned his true purpose for existence and became, for a brief moment, a god. What will happen now as he is returned to the forest? Finished! R+R!
1. Training for Trouble

The Legend of Zelda:  
  
Child of Time  
  
Part three of the Imp of Fate Trilogy  
  
It's me. pi2. I'm feeling a little down. I don't know if anyone is even reading my story. I haven't gotten many reviews. But I made a promise to myself to continue this fic, and I will.  
  
Disclaimer: You know what I own and don't own. Need I say it again?  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Skull Kid screamed. He was falling, falling through blackness. He had no idea how long he had been falling. Had he been falling forever? It seemed like it. Had any of his life before been real? Had it all been his imagination? Had this always been his existence? He could not tell. Where was Tael? He wondered as he stopped screaming. Where was his best friend and companion? Was he only a product of his imagination as well? Skull Kid said and thought nothing as he continued to fall. Finally, he had an idea. Maybe he should check his hat...Skull Kid pulled his hat off. A purple fairy flew out eagerly. "Whew! I thought I'd never get out of there!" Tael looked around. "Where are we?"  
  
"I have no idea, Tael. I have no idea." Skull Kid was strangely happy, for he knew now that he had not imagined Termina, Hyrule, or everything else. It had been real. Then he frowned, suddenly realizing something. He was dead. He had to be. He had seen Majora's ultimate attack racing towards him. He was definitely dead, and so was Tael. Weren't they?  
  
"Skull Kid...are we dead?'  
  
"Maybe. I'm really not sure. If this is the afterlife, it's not worth the trouble of living to get to." They said nothing. They continued to fall, waiting for some sign, something. They wondered if they would ever stop falling.  
  
"Skull Kid?"  
  
"Yes Tael?"  
  
"I'm worried about Sis and the others. I hope they're okay."  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "Tael, we both know they're definitely not okay. We both know that Majora and Ganon will not kill them, but make them as uncomfortable as possible before Majora's father arrives. Then they will be killed. For all we know, it may have already happened. There's no way to tell time in this place. I don't know how long we've been falling, but it's been awhile."  
  
Tael sagged. They continued to fall, not going anywhere. They said nothing. They could do nothing without feeling worse about their situation, and wondering if this truly was death. They tried to black out, to forget themselves, but they failed. Was this how it all ended? Over a thousand years of life, only to spend an eternity falling? This stunk. Nothing changed. Time passed. More time passed. They weren't getting anywhere. Still more time passed. And more time. And more time after that. How much time passed? Neither one knew. It seemed like an eternity. At last, something changed. They could see strange lights ahead of them. As they fell past, the duo could see that they were crude paintings, made on a wall of some sort. That meant they must be in a vertical tunnel of some sort! But neither of them could see a beginning or an end to this tunnel. The paintings continued to flash by. They were quite pretty, though crude. That's when Tael lit up. "Skull Kid, I think I see  
the light at the end of the tunnel!"  
  
Skull turned his head up. Since he was falling face-first, that meant he was looking down. "Hey Tael, if we're falling, doesn't that mean we'll hit the ground when we reach the end of the tunnel?"  
  
"Uh oh...Skull Kid, I'm so sorry! It looks like you're going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it."  
  
"It's okay Tael. I wouldn't mind seeing my mother again. Oh well, here goes. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed. They reached the end of the tunnel. Skull Kid came through. His eyes were shut in anticipation of the death awaiting him. He waited for the hard impact of the ground on his face and instead landed on...a flower? Skull Kid opened his eyes and got up, confused. This large pink-and-green flower had broken his extremely long fall? He looked around. He was in a cave of some sort. Right in front of the flower was a pool of water. In the middle of the cave was a swirling beam of light emanating from an unknown source. Strangely enough, there seemed to be shapes in the beam. At the far end of the room was a door. Tael flew in through the hole in the ceiling.  
  
"Skull Kid! Are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine, Tael. This flower broke my fall. Strange...does this room look familiar to you?"  
Tael looked around. "Yeah...it does seem familiar. But why?"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "There's a door at the other end of the room. Why don't we try it?" They walked over and went through the door. It led into a corridor that curved to the right after several meters. At the end of the corridor was another cave, with more of those flowers. He was on a mesa. There was a door on the other end of the room, on another mesa. There didn't seem to be a way to get to the other mesa. Skull Kid pondered this. It didn't look like the jump would be too far. He backed up, and ran towards the edge of the mesa. At the edge, he jumped, soaring across the floor of the cavern. He grabbed onto the edge of the mesa, stopping himself from falling. He climbed up and went through the door. He groaned. This cavern was huge, and had no visible floor. The chasm was peppered with mesas, and more flowers. Huge, twisting tree roots came down from the ceiling.  
  
"Think you can make the jump, Skull Kid?" asked Tael.  
  
Skull Kid was a little nervous. "I think so. I hope I don't fall though. If only I had a way to fly across the chasm. Wait! That's it!" He reached into his pack and took out the vial of white fairy dust, since the black had been emptied by himself during the previous battle. He ingested the dust, gaining the power of flight. Skull Kid soared across the chasm followed closely by Tael. While in the air, Skull Kid looked for another door. He saw a ledge far to his right that had a tunnel opening. He flew over to it and touched down. He ran into the tunnel and stopped, confused.  
  
He was getting a strong sense of deja` vu and so was Tael. They had entered a man-made corridor that seemed to be twisted, so the floor curved into the ceiling. The corridor ended in an upside-down door. Skull walked down the corridor, getting really confused as he continued to stay level with the floor even though it was twisted. Finally, upside-down, he and Tael went through the door. They found themselves in a cavernous room. In front of them was a stream that fed through a large waterwheel, which connected to multiple gears, turning a large wooden post that went up into a hole in the ceiling. A bridge went across the stream. Still feeling they had been here before, Tael and Skull Kid crossed the stream. At the other end were a set of stairs, which led up to the landing where the wooden post was. They climbed the stairs and reached the landing. On the wall to their left was a strange pattern. To their right were three steps that led to a set of large wooden doors with  
another strange pattern on them. Having nowhere else to go, they went up the steps and were about to go through the door when suddenly..."You've met a horrible fate, haven't you?" asked a voice behind them.  
  
Skull Kid and Tael screamed and turned around to find the Happy Mask Salesman! Skull Kid blinked. "What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
The Happy Mask Salesman grinned. Of course, he always seemed to be grinning about something. "I am here to help, my friend." He said.  
  
"Where is here, anyway?" asked Tael.  
  
"Hey wait!" exclaimed Skull Kid. "I remember now! This is the Clock Tower in Termina!"  
  
"Yes and no. This only appears to be the Clock Tower in Termina. If you recall, the two lands have merged now, forming Hymina. You are actually somewhere else. The cave, the tunnel, this room...all an illusion."  
  
"But why?"  
  
"To test you."  
  
"To see if I'm eligible to join the blessed dead?"  
  
"Dead? Oh no, no, no! You aren't dead! You're very much alive, both of you!"  
  
"But I was killed in the battle with Majora! Wasn't I?"  
  
"No, you were pulled away seconds before death. You are merely being tested to see if you are worthy of meeting with the being who pulled you away. The falling was a test of patience. The caves were a test of strength and intelligence. This last room was merely an opportunity to talk to you before you meet your mother."  
  
Skull Kid was surprised. "The Goddess of Time?"  
  
"Yes. She pulled you away because of the coming dilemma. It was not time for you to die just yet. You will need to fight the demon again, but next time you will be ready.'  
  
Skull Kid groaned. He would have to fight Majora again? Oh well. "Hey! Don't we get a chance to recuperate? I mean, how long ago was the battle?" asked Tael.  
  
"One week ago." The duo gasped. They had been falling for that long? "I am also here to answer any questions you might have before being admitted to your mothers presence. What would you like to know?"  
  
"First off, just who are you?"  
  
"I am one of your brothers."  
  
"A god?"  
  
"Yes, but only slightly older than you are. I'm really more of your great-great-great-great-great-great nephew. I'm a pretty minor god."  
  
"What are you the god of?"  
  
The Salesman pointed to the large bag of masks on his back. "What do you think?"  
  
"Oh, you're the God of Masks." Said Tael.  
  
"Correct. I go from dimension to dimension, buying and selling my wares to make people happy. I have the perfect mask for just about everyone. I spend about twenty years in any given dimension, though I do travel to others when my mask supply is low."  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "Next question. Why didn't Majora recognize you as a god when you had him?"  
  
"Who says he didn't? Why do you think he couldn't make me put him on?"  
  
"Point. All right, next question. Why didn't you tell Link the truth about Majora?"  
  
"I didn't want to make him change his mind and run away. He may be the Hero of Time, but I'm not good at gauging the courage of mortals. I made up that whole ancient tribe thing as an excuse for the mask's origins."  
  
"Why didn't you stop Majora yourself when he possessed me?"  
  
"Even when he was weakened, he was far stronger than I will ever be. I am only the God of Masks. He is the Demon of Power. I don't really have much in the way of power at all." He said sadly.  
  
"I thought you guys couldn't interfere directly in mortal affairs." Said Tael  
  
"That rule only applies to the bigger, older gods. A god like myself is almost not a god at all, more like an immortal with certain powers. But I am a god, just not an important one. Does that explain everything to you?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Then before you leave, let me give you a gift." He pulled off his bulging sack, opened it, and started rummaging through it, looking for a specific mask. "Ah hah! I've found it!" The God of Masks pulled the mask out of the sack and showed it to Skull Kid. Skull Kid and Tael screamed and backed right up to the double doors. The mask was Majora's Mask. "Nononono! You have nothing to fear! It's harmless, see?" He put on the mask. Nothing happened. The eyes didn't glow or anything. The God took the mask back off. "Link exorcised Majora from the mask. It's empty, lifeless, and powerless."  
  
Skull reluctantly took the mask from the God and stowed it in his pack. "Um, thanks, I guess."  
  
The Happy Mask Salesman/God of Masks grinned again. "You can go through the door now."  
  
"Goodbye." Said Tael and Skull Kid. They turned around and went through the doors. They entered someplace...else. It was dark, so they could not see, even with Tael's light. Of course, since he's purple, it wouldn't have helped much anyway. Suddenly, the lights came on. They gaped. First of all, the door they had come through was not there. But that wasn't even remotely amazing compared to where they were. They were standing on a huge floating platform. It was floating in the middle of a room bigger than the entire land of Hyrule-or Hymina, as it was now called. It was a chamber made completely out of crystal. It was beautiful. It shimmered and gleamed. They could see many tunnels leading away from the chamber. It seemed to be a nexus of sorts. From one of the tunnels, something glowing approached. It came towards them at high speed, finally reaching them. It was like a white fairy, but several times bigger and without any wings. Skull Kid immediately knew what it was.  
"Mommy..."  
  
"Yes Skull Kid. It is I, the Goddess of Time, your mother." Tael hid behind Skull Kid's head, quivering in fear. Skull Kid stepped forwards not sure what to say to his mother. Finally, he burst to tears and ran to her, giving her a hug. She hugged him back. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Tael felt like crying too, remembering his own dead mother. At last, the embrace was broken. The Goddess of Time hovered above them. "Skull Kid, I am happy to see you are all right. I have wanted to speak to you in person for a long time, but could not due to the laws I myself put into place."  
  
"Then why did you bring us here now?" asked Tael, working up the courage to speak to the supreme deity.  
  
"I brought you here because there was need. Skull Kid's original purpose is coming into play, and he must return to Hymina to fulfill his destiny."  
  
Skull Kid was confused. "I thought my purpose was to be the friend of the giants."  
  
"That was what everybody thought. I actually created you for another purpose, a destiny that will be revealed to you in time. I cannot see the future clearly, for it is in constant flux, but I occasionally get visions, premonitions of what will happen. I foresaw that Majora would arise again, and I also saw that the only way to stop him from fulfilling my brother's ambitions would be to create a being who may be able to stop him."  
  
"Link?"  
  
"No, Skull Kid. That being is you."  
  
"ME?" asked Skull Kid in disbelief.  
  
"HIM?" asked Tael in equal disbelief.  
  
"Yes Skull Kid. You. You are the only one who may stop Majora. I cannot send my daughters to deal with him as I did before, or even deal with him myself. That would be going to close to breaking the rules. Remember, we cannot interfere directly in mortal affairs, even if they are godly affairs as well."  
  
"But you brought us here!"  
  
"Neither you or Tael are mortals."  
  
"Oh, right."  
  
"Besides, you are here to be trained to fight Majora, so this is more like indirect interference. A loophole of sorts."  
  
"Makes sense to me." Said Tael.  
  
"So, how do we get started?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I'm glad you asked. Mike! Please take my son to Farore's suite. Goodbye Skull Kid. I have urgent business to attend to. Good luck. I love you." She flew away.  
  
Another ball of light flew up. This one was closer to a fairy's size, but had feathery wings instead of butterfly ones. He looked at Skull Kid and Tael. "If you will please follow me, I will take you to mistress Farore's room." Mike started to fly off the platform. Since Skull Kid was still under the effects of the dust, he was able to follow.  
  
As he and Tael followed Mike to one of the openings in the chamber wall, he had a question. "What are you?"  
  
"I'm an angel."  
  
"Really? I always pictured you guys as looking more humanoid."  
  
"It's a common misconception. Just like the one that the greatest gods are humanoid as well."  
  
"What is this place, anyway?" asked Tael.  
  
"This is the Chamber of the Crystals, at the heart of heaven. The chamber is the center of a palace for all the gods. These openings lead to the rooms for each of the gods, and to the outside."  
  
"Can you take us outside?"  
  
"No. Heaven is for the dead only. If you see what it's like, you might be tempted to suicide to get here, and that would disrupt the balance of things."  
  
"Is it true that suicides go to Hell?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"No, you only go to Hell if you do too many bad deed. Of course, the term is figurative."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"A bad deed is basically something bad you do because you want to. You know, like stealing or killing. If you do it by accident, it's not counted as a bad deed. It also isn't considered a bad deed if you have to do something bad in an attempt to do something good. For instance, I hear that you used to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Even though it was a mistake because you kept robbing from the rich after they had become rich instead of poor, you had good intentions. In a way, that's what really counts. Also, if you feel guilty for something you've done, it means you have a good chance of going here. Those who feel no guilt almost always end up down there." He continued down one of the openings, followed by the duo. Mike stopped outside one of the doors in the large, shiny corridor. "Well, here's your big sister Farore's bedroom. Oh and here's a little tip: whatever you do, don't make her angry. You'll regret it. Well, I gotta go now. Good luck." He flew away.  
  
As he touched down on the corridor floor, Skull Kid took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened. He walked inside. Tael flew in. Skull Kid knew his big sister Farore was known as the creator of the first life forms in Hyrule and patron of heroes and forests, so he had expected her bedroom to be like some sort of huge greenhouse. He was completely wrong. The huge room did have a few flowers and one or two trees, but other than that, the main part of the room seemed to be a large arena, with bleachers surrounding it. Around the center arena were various weapons in display cases, and a few areas that were obviously for training. There were several cases close to him, so he decided to take a look. In one case was an axe. A plaque on the case said "Battleaxe. Galadriel." Another case had a small sword made from a material Skull Kid was not familiar with. The label said, "Goblin-sensing rapier. Bilbo Baggins." The case next to that held a large katana. All the plaque  
said was "Sword. Jack." The case after that held a bow and a quiver full of arrows. The plaque said, "Bow and arrows. Robin." The next case had a large sword. The plaque said, "Excalibur, Arthur." Farore, a large green ball of light with a core of gold, flew towards them. "Skull Kid! It's good to see you, little brother!" She held Skull Kid close in a big hug. Skull Kid welcomed the embrace. She finally broke off. "Mom told me all about your new quest! You're here for training, right?"  
  
"Yeah, but what kind of training?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"You're going to be battling hordes of monsters and the favored child of evil incarnate! You need to learn how to fight."  
  
"But I already have a dagger that magically makes me proficient."  
  
"Do you actually know how to use it other than to stab?"  
  
"Well...no."  
  
"My point exactly. All the dagger does is keep you from poking your own eye out. It only makes you proficient enough not to damage yourself with it. I will teach you how to really use it, and several other weapons."  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Works for me."  
  
"Great! We'll start right away. Your fairy is pretty weak. He'll need training too."  
  
"Hey! I am not weak!" shouted Tael.  
  
"You'll need to be stronger than you are now. You will need to become a guardian fairy in order to help Skull Kid. However, you will have to give up the ability to heal."  
  
"Well...all right. I'll do it, but just for Skull Kid." Said Tael.  
  
"Good. Ares, one of my sons, will train you. He's waiting for you in the room with a book painted on it." Tael flew off, looking for that room. Farore turned back to Skull Kid. "Now, I will train you how to use your dagger properly. I will also show you how to use a shield, and how to combine the two skills when necessary. And it will be necessary. Now, if you'll just follow me to this ring over here..." She led Skull Kid to an elevated boxing-style ring.  
  
Tael entered the room with a book painted on it. Inside was a small library. At the far end was a screen and a short red man in heavy armor, with a large sword in a scabbard on his back. It was Ares, one of the gods of war. He looked up as Tael entered. "Ah, you are the one I've been waiting for?" he asked. Tael nodded. "Good. We'll start your training right away."  
  
Tael floated over, landing on a table. "How do we do that?"  
  
"By teaching you the weak points of various monsters. I will show you several slides of monsters in Hymina, and they're weak points. When I'm finished, I will grill you over those monsters to see if you have them memorized. Are you ready?"  
  
"Ready!" said Tael.  
  
"Good. We'll begin with the Deku Baba." The screen behind him turned on, showing an image of a Deku Baba.  
  
"Ooh! I know this! The weak spot is its stem!"  
  
"Very good, but do you know where Deku Baba's come from?"  
  
"Yeah, from bad nuts that fall far from the Deku Tree."  
  
Ares beamed. "Very good! I guess you can tell me all the monsters that dwell in the forest and their weak spots on sight then?"  
  
"Yup!"  
  
"Then let's test you." The screen showed a picture of a Hiploop.  
  
"Hiploop. A large insectoid monster that hatches from eggs laid by female Hiploops. When masked, are invincible until the mask is pulled off. When unmasked, you have to hit them with an attack before they ram into you." A picture of a Dragonfly came on. "Dragonfly. A cousin of the Hiploop, born from eggs as well. They are armed with electric stingers and can be killed by projectile weapons." A picture of a Wolfos came on. "Wolfos. A canine monster that has hard fur and can walk on its hind legs. Its tail is its weak spot." Next up, a picture of a Stalfos. "Stalfos. A human that has been victimized by the curse on the Lost Woods. Otherwise, it is the corpse of a person that has died in battle unfulfilled." Ares showed a picture of a Skulltulla. "Skulltulla. A giant spider that descends from the ceiling to catch its prey. Its front is protected by a hard, skull-shaped carapace, hence the name, but its back is completely vulnerable."  
  
Ares applauded. "Wonderful! Of course, you already live in the forest so of course you know this stuff. Let's move on to field monsters..."  
  
After a few hours, Skull Kid had mastered the techniques Farore had taught him. "Wonderful! There are more advanced techniques I could try to teach you, but they require double-jointed arms and six fingers. Now, let's move on to the final test." She led Skull Kid over to the arena. "To complete your training, you must defeat three powerful opponents using the techniques I have shown you. You may use the shield." Skull Kid stood in the arena. Farore flew over to the stands, where a large throne with popcorn holder waited.  
  
"Uh, these opponents aren't going to kill me, are they?"  
  
"No, they are merely to test your skills. And don't feel bad about killing them, they are merely illusions. Of course, they are illusions that hurt. And since they aren't quite real, your dagger won't kill them instantly. Of course, it wouldn't with most monsters, but I am testing you with undead monsters because of their difficulty. Normally, one or two stabs from your dagger would kill them. If you fail, we must train you all over again." Skull Kid grimaced. The last few hours had been extremely grueling. His sister was a harsh taskmistress. "I can read thoughts, you know." Said Farore.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"It's okay. Now, let the battle begin!" She leaned back in her throne and started munching on her popcorn. A lone Stalfos appeared. Grunting, he approached Skull Kid, his shield raised. Skull Kid kept his shield up, waiting for his chance to strike. When the Stalfos prepared to lash out with his sword, Skull Kid darted in and struck him with an underhand stab. The Stalfos groaned and jumped away, keeping his shield up. When he was about to attack again, Skull Kid repeated his earlier maneuver. He did this twelve times until the Stalfos finally crumbled to dust. Farore applauded, then told Skull Kid to pick up a bow. There was one lying on the ground, with a quiver full of Light Arrows. The minute he picked them up, the lights dimmed considerably and a huge flock of bats appeared, pouring into the center of the arena from all corners of the room. They clustered together and finally pulled away, revealing a horrible monster. It was completely black, and floated above the  
ground. It seemed to have a ragged cape and cowl, with no true body except for a green jewel in the midst of the darkness. As for its head, it was a pointed mass with horrible orange eyes and a red mouth filled with jagged teeth. The monster was enshrouded with extra bats, and wielded a huge scythe. As it floated towards him, Skull Kid tried to remember where he had heard of this monster. Than he remembered how Link had told him of a horrible vampire creature that Majora had created and placed in the Stone Tower Temple during his possession. It was called Gomess. Skull Kid recalled it was weak against light. Skull Kid carefully aimed with one of his Light Arrows as the monster floated closer. Skull Kid shot the arrow, stunning Gomess and causing the bats to fly away. Skull Kid knew he didn't have much time, so he switched to his dagger, ran over to the monster, and performed an overhead cut on the jewel. Gomess roared and tried to slice his head off with the massive scythe.  
The bats returned to their master. Skull Kid backflipped away from the beast's swings until he was far enough away to use another Light Arrow. He repeated the process until finally, the monster wobbled and split into its separate bats, which fell to the ground dead. They vanished. Skull Kid panted, taking a short breather. Farore applauded. "Congratulations! This last battle will be the hardest, so be prepared. Your arrows are now completely normal." The room stayed dark. A huge severed hand flew out of the shadows and tied to bang on the floor, but found it was not as stretchy as the drum it was supposed to play on. Another hand appeared and discovered the same thing. Finally, a huge upside-down torso with no waist flew out of the shadows. It had upper arms but no visible lower ones, yet still was attached to the hands somehow. Its neck led to a single glowing pink eye for a head. Petals like that of a flower surrounded it.  
  
BONGO BONGO: PHANTOM SHADOW BEAST  
  
The monster tried to squash Skull Kid with one of its hands. Skull Kid jumped out of the way and shot the hand with an arrow. The hand writhed in pain. Skull Kid shot the other hand as it tried to punch him. Finally, he shot the beast's eye, sending it crashing to the ground. Skull Kid ran over and performed a few jump attacks on the eye. Bongo Bongo flew out of Skull Kid's reach and tried to slap him. Skull Kid squeezed off another arrow. Skull Kid continued the process until the monster finally gave up. It floated high in the air, its hands on the ground, and slowly turned black as pure shadow. It then melted into a purple-black pool of stuff, which shrunk, evaporating. The lights came on. Farore clapped and whistled, cheering for him. Skull Kid grinned. He had passed the first part of his training. Soon, Farore showed him and Tael the exit. "Thank you for all the help, Farore." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Yeah, I can now tell you when the annual migration of the Mountain Tektite happens and where it goes." Said Tael.  
  
"Ares said you were one of the best students he's ever had, and that's saying something! Well, good luck on your quest." She flew close to Skull Kid and gave him a final hug and kiss for the road. "I love you little brother. Show `em what you're made of!"  
  
Skull Kid nodded and walked outside, where Mike the angel was waiting. "Well, how'd it go?"  
  
"Great! I passed her course with flying colors."  
  
"Excellent. Well, follow me. Your next stop is Mistress Nayru's room." He started to lead them down the corridor, but stopped because Skull Kid wasn't following him. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I, uh, can't fly anymore."  
  
"Oh. Well here, let me give you a lift." Mike flew over and picked Skull Kid up with invisible hands. "Comfortable?"  
  
"Yes, very."  
  
"Good. Now, let's go." Mike flew down the corridor, passing through the Chamber of the Crystals once again. He took them to another corridor, in front of another door. He put Skull Kid down. "Now, here's the room of your big sister Nayru. Here's a tip: Don't mention the recent debunking of Rofurnertim's law of Universal Cheese. She knew he was wrong, but thought he was quite handsome. Well, I have to go. Good luck!" he flew away."  
  
"Such a nice angel." Said Skull Kid. He knocked on the door. It opened. He entered Nayru's room. It looked pretty much how he expected it to. It was basically a large library. By large, I mean the library was the size of New York City, horizontally and vertically speaking. It contained every book that had ever been written in life or death, for many great authors continue to write stories in their afterlife. Fortunately, Nayru quickly located him.  
  
His big sister Nayru was the same size as Farore. She was a ball of blue light with a core of gold. "Ah, Skull Kid. I was wondering when you would get here. I've been waiting for you. I am here to initiate the second phase of your training."  
  
"Magic?"  
  
"No, that would be more Din's department. I am going to teach you about science and physics, the natural laws of the universes and how our very existence clashes with those theories. We will perform experiments to demonstrate the laws of nature to you. Come." With that, Nayru led Skull Kid through the aisles of her massive library to a worktable. "Here is where you shall learn. The only precaution you must take is to always wear your safety goggles." She said, indicating a pair of safety goggles on the table. Skull Kid put them on and began to learn about laws of nature that many Hylians knew, like the law of universal gravitation and entropy, but others such as the law of conservation of energy and of nuclear energy. Most of this would probably be useless to Skull Kid, but you never know when a certain fact can come in handy. (If you don't know what the things I mentioned above are, wait until you take high school physics) After twelve hours of hard work and multiple  
explosions, Skull Kid and Tael had learned all the physics Nayru could teach them that made sense. "I won't bother trying to explain other, more highly advanced forms of physics, such as the law of lukewarm fusion or the theorem of space/time conversion."  
  
"Thanks." Said Tael.  
  
"Your training is almost complete, Skull Kid. Al that is left now is to visit Din, who will educate you of magic."  
  
"You mean she'll teach me magic?" asked Skull Kid eagerly.  
  
"No, I said she would teach you of magic. She will not actually teach you how to use it?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"She will be able to explain it better than I. Now it is time to say goodbye, little brother. Good luck on your quest."  
  
"Thanks," said Skull Kid, as he turned to walk down one of the aisles. He paused then turned around. "Which way is the door?"  
  
"Take your first right down that aisle than turn left, right, left, left, left, right, left...Oh, I'll just do it myself."   
  
In a flash, Skull Kid and Tael were at the door. "Thank you!" yelled Tael."  
  
"You're welcome! And keep your voice down. This is a library after all."  
  
They exited the library. Mike was waiting for them. "Oh, there you are! Ready for your final training session?"  
  
"I'm ready." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Good. Hop on." Skull Kid jumped, allowing Mike to pick him up. They flew through the Chamber of the Crystals once more, heading for the next corridor. Mike dropped off Skull Kid in front of yet another door. "This is the room of your big sister Din. Whatever you do, don't comment on Buddhism to her. It'll make her really mad." He flew off.  
  
"What's Buddhism?" asked Tael.  
  
"I don't know. And I'm not sure I want to know." He knocked on the door. It opened, and they went inside. And they gaped.  
  
This chamber was as far from what either of them expected Din's chamber to be like. They had been expecting lava and caves, monsters and mazes. Instead, it was a pleasant meadow with an elevated pavilion in the middle. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky. They walked over to the pavilion, looking around them. As they got on top of the pavilion, they were able to see a pool, and a small forest and other meadows with similar pavilions. The pavilion itself was empty. A minute later, a large ball of red light with a core of gold floated up. It was Din. "Ah, Skull Kid. I knew you would come at about this time."  
  
"Um, hello Din."  
  
She gave him a big hug. "Oh, it's so great to see you! Ready for your final bit of training?"  
  
"Magic?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Sort of. I will teach you about magic, but I cannot teach it to you myself."  
  
"But why not?" whined Skull Kid.  
  
"In Mom's premonition, she saw you wielding magic against Majora. However, it came from within you. She said that for this to pass, you must not learn how to actually do magic. I am merely going to prep you for your final battle by showing you how to contact your inner magic. But first, I need to explain something to you. It conflicts with almost all of the laws of physics that Nayru taught you."  
  
"I'm listening." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Magic can break every law of physics, for magic is like a separate set of physical laws. A case in point is you. The laws of Entropy state that all objects lose energy over time, until they finally come to a halt. In other words, everything dies. Now, look at yourself. You are an immortal, a being with an indefinite life span. Since you can live forever, you do not lose energy until you finally die. Instead, you maintain it constantly by living. This is a defiance of entropy. Do you understand."  
  
"Pretty much, yes."  
  
"Good. Now, to begin you're training." She floated down to the pavilion floor. "Sit. We shall start focusing on your inner self, looking for your magic. Close your eyes and focus on something that makes you happy." Tael and Skull Kid obeyed. Skull Kid concentrated on fries. They had made him pretty happy. If he focused on his friends, he wouldn't be happy, because he would remember once again that they were endangered. He calmed down under the influence of the mental fries. "Now that you've found something that makes you happy, keep that image in your mind and focus more on your heart focus on the power there. In time, you should..."  
  
"Found it." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Found it." Said Tael.  
  
Din was surprised. "You both found it that quickly? Then that means mother is right. I have no need to teach you anything more. You may go."  
  
Skull Kid got up. "Wait, you mean that was it? That was all the training?"  
  
"Yes. Now, before you go, here's another big hug." She gave him a big hug, kissed him on the cheek and flew away.  
  
Skull Kid and Tael stared after her. "Well, that was easy." Said Tael.  
  
"Yeah. Come on, let's go." They climbed down from the pavilion and headed for the exit.  
  
They went outside the corridor to find Mike once again. "I'm surprised you finished so quickly. Well, now that your training is finished, your mother wishes to speak to you once again." Mike picked up Skull Kid and flew him to the Chamber of the Crystals. He dropped him on the center platform and flew away.  
  
A minute or two later, the Goddess of Time reappeared. "You have completed your training ahead of time, my dear. This will be an advantage. Now, you are probably wondering what you must do to save the world, correct?" Skull Kid nodded. "Then listen carefully. Four of the six sages are imprisoned in their own temples. What's more, the four new sages are trapped in them as well."  
  
"New Sages?" asked Tael.  
  
"Just like each of the temples in Hyrule had an unawakened Sage, so did the temples in Termina. The future Sages of Termina have been captured and placed in the temples. Since the lands have merged, that means the four temples in question will now have two Sages each."  
  
"Oh, I get it." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"But that isn't all. A thousand years ago, when the Hylian temples were built in the first place, each of the original Sages created a Dragon out of elements to be the guardian of the temples. Six hundred years ago, the guardian dragons were slain by poachers. You are going to try to change that. Let me outline your quest: One, you must liberate the Sages from the temples. Two, you must confront Ganondorf and kill him, not just defeat him. Three, after midnight on the eve of the Carnival of Time, go to the top of the Clock Tower and play the Oath to Order. Instead of summoning your old friends, the giants, you will be calling forth the magic necessary for the Sages to resurrect the dragons. Once they are reborn, the dragons will allow you to travel to the moon and confront Majora for the final battle." She paused. "It is necessary that you fulfill the first two parts before going to the Clock Tower. The eve of the carnival is when the solar equinox will occur. The planets  
will be in their yearly alignment, and great magic can be used during the six hours of the alignment. Even as we speak, Majora is gathering the ingredients for the spell that will release my brother from Hell. He will wait until the last half-hour to cast the spell, for the magic will be strongest then. You must defeat him before time runs out, or at least distract him long enough for the sunrise. After that, Majora will need to wait another year to cast the spell." She flew closer. "You have five weeks to complete the assignment. Skull Kid, you are the only one that can do this. This is your destiny, the purpose for your existence. We are all counting on you. I am counting on you. Good luck." She gave Skull Kid a big hug and kiss. "I will see you again once all the Sages are freed. Good luck, my son. I love you." There was a flash of light, and Skull Kid and Tael were somewhere else entirely.  
  
Well, this is for the people who bothered to read and review this fic. Thank you! In other news, keep reading and reviewing! The next chapter will be done shortly, I hope. 


	2. Back in the forest! Wow, a lot really HA...

Welcome to the second part of the Child of Time! It's me, your host pi2, hoping you enjoy the story.  
  
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Skull Kid and Tael looked around. They were in the Chamber of Sages, standing in the middle of the Triforce platform. All of the platforms for the Sages were empty, except for the Light platform, which Rauru was standing on. Rauru looked like he had been expecting them. "Ah, so at last you have arrived," he said. "The Goddess of Time informed me of your quest. I am here to start your journey. I know of the first guardian, Aeolus, Dragon of Light. I saw my father create him from particles of light after he had finished building this temple. He is the only dragon who was not killed by the poachers, but the other guardians and all the other normal dragons of ancient Hyrule were wiped out. Aeolus died out of grief and loneliness. He told me to recreate him during the solar equinox when all the other dragons were reborn." He paused. "You're probably wondering how I can help you."  
  
"Yeah, we were wondering that." Said Tael.  
  
"Well, I can give you information on the other temples and dragons, not to mention send you back to Hymina each time you visit. But first, let me give you something."  
  
He raised his arms. High in the ceiling, there was a flash of light. A small object fell from the ceiling, landing in Skull Kid's hands. It was a yellow medallion, with a Triforce image on the back and a symbol of three inward-pointing triangles with a dot between each triangle on the front. "Cool! What is it?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"That is a Light Medallion. It has no real power, but it might come in handy. As long as you're here, I might give you this as well." Rauru tossed Skull Kid another medallion, this one purple. The symbol on the front was a triangle surrounded by three dots. "This is a Shadow Medallion. Impa is supposed to give it to you, but she's a little busy in Kakariko Village. She's the only Sage aside from myself who is not imprisoned. You now only need to collect eight more medallions and the first part of the quest will be finished. Now, are you ready to hear about where you're going?" Skull Kid nodded. "The Kokiri built the Forest Temple under the direction of Saria's ancestor, Saria." Skull Kid couldn't help chuckling. "Do you know how Kokiri are born?"  
  
"No, not really." admitted Skull Kid.  
  
"The Kokiri are immortal, but in the rare occasion that one dies, his/her fairy dies as well, but are reborn from the Deku Tree with no memories. They are completely new people. This has happened to Saria twice. It is only in her third incarnation that she has become Forest Sage once again."  
  
"Sorry for laughing." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"It's alright. Now, as for the guardian, Saria created the dragon Alexandra from leaves and bark. Those horrible poachers killed her six hundred years ago, like the rest of the green dragons of the forest." He cleared his throat. "As for Woodfall, it was built by the Deku Scrubs a thousand years ago as well to honor their god, the Deku Tree. I can see your obvious confusion on this. Let me explain. The Deku Tree is one of the four gods that created Termina. He had a hand in creating the forests of Hyrule as well, and decided to stay with his creation. To do so, he had to give up most of his godly powers. He was fine with that. The same thing happened with Jabu-Jabu, who also helped create Termina."  
  
"Ah, I understand." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Good. Now, you shall be sent to the forest, where Link's first quest began."  
  
"Wait! Can't we stop off at Mesmoria and tell mom what's going on?" asked Tael.  
  
"No, there isn't enough time. You have only five weeks. Besides, Queen Spryte has already been informed of the situation and given approval for you to go on this quest. Now, are you ready to go forth and save the world, probably even the entire universe?"  
  
"I guess so." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Then prepare for transport." The old man raised his arms. There was a flash. Skull Kid and Tael found themselves standing in a tree house. It was Link's tree house. They could tell this because he had described it to them once. There was a back window with a couch/bed under it, shelves of stuff, and a little cushion for Navi to sleep on.  
  
"Wow, we're in Link's tree house!" said Skull Kid. He peeked out the back window and was surprised to see the Deku throne room. But instead of Deku Scrubs, the room was filled with Stalfos. On the throne was a very big Stalfos with a large sword and shield. The jail cell held a familiar-looking Deku Scrub, who was tied to a post. He got down so the big Stalfos wouldn't notice him. "Tael," he whispered. "What's that big Stalfos sitting on the throne?"  
  
Tael took a look. "That's the Master Stalfos. It's a really powerful Stalfos. Its shield can deflect any person's physical attacks. His sword is magical and flies towards its target when thrown, homing in on it. He must be second-in-command to whatever monster is in the temple."  
  
"Makes sense to me." He whispered.  
  
"Hey, I think something's happening." Whispered Tael. Skull Kid quietly walked over to the window and peeked over the sill.  
  
A Stalfos approached the Master Stalfos. He kneeled, then got up. "Master Stalfos, the Wolfos wish to know if you have finished passing judgement on the worthless scrub who killed one of their females."  
  
The Master Stalfos scowled. "Can't you see I'm trying to think of something?"  
  
"Maybe we could just chop him into kindling like we do with all the rebel scrubs." suggested one of the Stalfos.  
  
The Master shook his head. "No, no, it must be something worse to appease the Wolfos. I've got it! We won't kill him at all!"  
  
"Then what will we do with him, master?"  
  
The Master grinned. "We'll make him one of us! We'll turn him into a Mad Scrub!" He turned to the messenger. "Tell the Wolfos to prepare a big pot of poison water for dunking. Before the week is out, our little friend will be a lowly Mad Scrub!" the Master Stalfos laughed in a low, almost grunting cackle. None of the other Stalfos joined in.  
  
Skull Kid looked over to the poor Scrub in the cell. "Tael, I think I know who that scrub is." He whispered.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes. Remember that scrub I...I mean, Majora turned into a tree while I was possessed? I think that's him."  
  
"But you turned him into a tree."  
  
"Don't you remember? Link said he freed the poor guy from the tree curse using the Deku Mask. Even after, it still retained its powers of transformation. I wonder if it's still around. It might help us blend in."  
  
"Why don't we look?" asked Tael. They split up and searched the tree house, which was a little bigger than one would have expected. It turned out that Link had to carve some extra rooms into the trunk of the tree to make room for his grown-up self. They found a ladder that led down to these rooms. Aside from the bathroom and bedroom on the first floor, Link also had a kitchen/dining room and a storeroom. The storeroom was where they found what they were looking for. Unfortunately, the Stalfos seemed to have taken most of the ammo for themselves. There were almost no Deku Sticks or nuts. The seed bags were gone, and there were no arrows either. They found a few of Link's old weapons. His Deku Shield and child-sized Mirror Shield were still there. The slingshot and bow were there, but there was no ammo. The Hero's Bow was gone. So were the bombs, the Bombchu, in fact almost all his old weapons. All that was left was the child-sized hookshot, a small pack, six empty bottles,  
and twenty-seven masks. Twenty of those masks were the Happy Masks Link had collected in Termina. Three of them were the transformation masks. The last four were the now demon-free masks of Odolwa, Goht, Gyorg, and Twinmold. "We could use some of this!" said Tael. He flew over to the small pack. "This will hold all of our stuff."  
  
"Tael, what are you talking about? That pack is barely large enough to hold five of those masks!"  
  
Tael chuckled. "This is no ordinary pack. I suppose you've never heard of the special Kokiri backpack?"  
  
"No, I haven't. What is it?"  
  
"It's a magical pack. It can hold an unbelievable amount of items, no matter what the size. You can take all of this stuff and shove it in the pack. It will weigh nothing as well." Skull Kid had to see this for himself. He put the hookshot in the pack. They fit neatly. Then he put in all six bottles. They fit as well. Finally, he put each mask in one by one and saw that they all fit!  
  
"Well, what do you know? You were right, Tael!"  
  
"Of course I was. I'm your guardian fairy now. I know this kind of stuff."  
  
"I guess putting in one more item won't hurt." He said. He pulled Majora's Mask out of his pack and put it in the pack. As an afterthought, he took out the rest of his dust vials and put them in as well, even the empty ones. He left his now-empty pack on the ground and put the new pack on his back. He picked up the Mirror Shield and strapped it on as well. "So Tael, what's our next step?"  
  
"We could leave this tree house." Said Tael.  
  
"Yeah, but those Stalfos will see us, unless...he rummaged through his pack and put on the Stone Mask. "This should do the trick." He said.  
  
"Be careful, Skull Kid." Said Tael. "The mask's powers of invisibility will only work on certain enemies. I can tell which ones are or are not affected, and I know that Master Stalfos will not be affected."  
  
"We'll just stay out of his sight then." Said Skull Kid. "The Stalfos won't see us, right?"  
  
"Right. Don't attack them, though. We need to know the situation here." Skull Kid nodded and headed for the ladder. They climbed up to the top floor, went through the front door, and climbed down the ladder. The mask worked like a charm, which, in a way, it was. They easily passed by the Stalfos and walked outside the throne room, finding themselves in the passage leading to the outside. Since the corridor had no ceiling, the sky was visible. It was nighttime. Unfortunately, Wolfos guarded the exit. "Uh oh." Said Tael.  
  
"What? They're just a bunch of stupid Wolfos. We'll sneak by them."  
  
"No, Skull Kid! They can smell us! The mask's powers of invisibility won't shield your scent!"  
  
"Hmm. That is a problem. Let me think a minute." Skull Kid thought, then got an idea. "Tael, how good is their sense of smell?"  
  
"Very good. In fact, I'm surprised they can't smell us right now."  
  
"Why can't they? Hey wait, do you smell something?"  
  
"What do you...oh wait, I do smell something." They sniffed the air. It wasn't a good smell. Tael concluded that the smell was masking their scent. "However, they will still be able to smell us if we walk right by."  
  
Skull Kid nodded, expecting this. "Don't worry. I have a plan."  
  
"Great! What do we do?"  
  
"Actually Tael, it's more like what you do."  
  
A few minutes later, Tael flew up to the Wolfos. "Heyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyheyhey! Look at me! I'm a fairy!"  
  
One of the Wolfos growled. "Hey Bill, it's a fairy!"  
  
"I see it. Let's get it and put it in a cage like the others! Come on, Joe!" Tael flew down the passageway, the Wolfos giving chase. Tael led them into one of the palace gardens while Skull Kid ran down the corridor and outside. Once he got far enough away from the front gate, he saw what had been causing the smell. He gaped underneath his mask.  
  
Tael was leading the Wolfos on a merry chase through the gardens. "Come on! Can't you two big strong Wolfos catch little old me?" Finally, he figured Skull Kid had gotten through so flew out of the Wolfos' reach, over the palace walls.  
  
"Hey! Come back here!" yelled Joe.  
  
"Should we tell the Master Stalfos?" asked Bill.  
  
"And get busted for not being able to catch a single fairy? Nah, let's get back to our post."  
  
Tael chuckled as he flew over the walls. He stopped when he saw what was on the other side. He spun around to see everything, going higher. It wasn't the transformed village itself that surprised him so much, it was what had been done to the village. The reason there had been a smell masking their scent was that the water had been poisoned. It was a bright purple in color, just like it had been in the days of the falling moon. In the not-too-far-away distance, he could see Woodfall with rings of smoke around its peak and poison water oozing down the sides. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst was the village itself. As he flew lower to get a closer look, he could see monsters all over the place. He could see Kokiri and Scrubs, but they were all battered and worn. There were brightly-glowing lamps hanging over the doorways of all the buildings, but on closer inspection they were really small glass vials with a guardian fairy crammed in each one, forced to give off light.  
Dragonflies flew over the village on orderly patrols. Hiploops patrolled some of the bridges. There were Wolfos and Stalfos scattered all over the village, herding the Scrubs and Kokiri to or from the meadow of the Deku Tree. The poor prisoners were obviously slaves. Tael couldn't bear to imagine how horrible it must be for them if they looked that haggard after only one week under Majora's rule. High in the air, the grinning moon could be seen. Majora had obviously used powerful magic to defy the laws of inertia and gravity to keep it suspended in the same spot right over the land, without rotating or breaking orbit. It was now circling the planet at the same speed that the world rotated, keeping it in the same spot for observers on the ground. Tael saw Skull Kid standing on the bridge leading from the palace, just taking everything in. Tael quickly flew over to him. "Skull kid, are you all right?"  
  
Skull Kid didn't respond for a moment. Then, he turned to Tael. "I'm fine, Tael. But they aren't. This is incentive for killing that foul demon. I can't let him get away with doing something like this."  
  
"So why don't we head straight for the temple?"  
  
"Because the Lost Woods have probably merged with the Woods of Mystery. That means the paths will be completely different. We need to get information on how to get through the woods and to do that we'll need to blend in."  
  
"We could use the Captain's Hat." Suggested Tael.  
  
Skull Kid shook his head. "No, that won't work. It only tricks Stalchildren. It won't fool those monsters for a second. We need a more devious disguise to blend in." He took off the Stone Mask and placed it in his pack. He then pulled the Deku Mask from his pack.  
  
Tael immediately saw what he was going to do. "Skull Kid, don't! If you become a Deku Scrub, they'll put you to work with the others! And they'll stuff me in a jar!"  
  
Skull Kid was solemn. "Tael, we have to do this. It's the only way to get our information. And if it means being a slave, we'll have to make do with that. Just get in my hat after I'm transformed so you won't get caught."  
  
"But" Tael tried to protest. He was too late. Skull Kid put on the Deku Mask. Its contours shifted, matching those of his round head and duck-like beak. Suddenly the pain started. He screamed and clutched his face as his innards shriveled away, his frame shrunk, his very flesh petrified into wood. He started to scream in pain, so clamped his hands over his beak/snout so the guards wouldn't hear him. He closed his eyes, almost blacking out from the pain. Then it was over. He opened his eyes and saw the world looked a little bigger. Tael stared at him in shock. "Whoa."  
  
Skull Kid ran over to the water and looked at his reflection. Despite the distortion from the poison, he could see himself quite well. He looked a lot like the scrub Link had become when he/Majora had cursed him in the first place, except for a few differences. First of all, his eyes weren't stuck in an expression that made him look sad. They were quite normal, but a bit beadier than the average scrub's eyes. His snout was completely normal. He had his scarecrow-like hat on his head with a few leaves here and there. His gloves and boots remained intact, along with his belt and the bottom part of his tunic. Recalling how Link had said the Ocarina of Time had transformed into a different instrument for each of his forms, Skull Kid checked his pack to see if his flute had become a set of trumpets. It hadn't. It was still a flute. Oh well. He had more important things to focus on right now. "Cool! I'm a Deku Scrub! Okay Tael, time to hide. Skull Kid pulled off his hat so Tael  
could hide in it. As Skull Kid put it back on, he said, "And remember, whatever you do, don't come out unless I give the OK. Got it?"  
  
"Got it." Whispered Tael.  
  
"Good. Let's go." He walked towards the village, hopping and walking across the lily pads and bridges.  
  
As he approached one of the houses that two Deku Scrubs had just walked in, a Stalfos spotted him. "Hey! You! What are you doing out of the work area?" The Stalfos, who had been on a nearby bridge, walked over.  
  
"Uhhhhhhhhh...my shift ended."  
  
"Oh, all right then. Is this your house?"  
  
"Yes. Yes it is."  
  
"Ah. Go in then." Skull Kid started for the door to the house when he got called back. "Hey, I don't recall seeing any Scrubs with scarecrow hats before!"  
  
"I found it." Said Skull Kid quickly.  
  
"Found it where?"  
  
"On the ground."  
  
"Which ground?"  
  
"The Deku Tree's meadow?"  
  
"Hmm. That doesn't look like a Kokiri hat."  
  
"It isn't. It's a Skull Kid hat."  
  
"What was it doing there?"  
  
"A Skull Kid left it."  
  
"Why did he leave it?"  
  
"I don't know. Have there been any Skull Kids around recently?"  
  
"Of course not! The great Majora ordered all Skull Kids to be put to slave labor as well, but we haven't found a one."  
  
"Then this hat must have been left before Majora took over, right?"  
  
The Stalfos pondered that. "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"Then that means I would have no knowledge of why it was left behind, now would I?"  
  
The Stalfos considered. "Oh yeah, good point. Okay, go home now. I guess I'll be seeing you next two shift changes."  
  
"Guess so." Said Skull Kid, going inside the house.  
  
The door was closed behind him and locked shut. Skull Kid looked around. He was sharing the hut with two female scrubs and a lone Kokiri. There were, of course, no fairies. Skull Kid had never seen a female Deku Scrub except for the Deku Princess/Queen so got his first look at normal female scrubs. Just like males, they were pretty short, but had kinder-looking eyes. Their snouts weren't as wide or as long as male Deku Scrubs. They each wore a simple cloth with a neck-hole for raiment. Their heads were round, and their eyes closer set. Or was it the smallness of the snouts that gave them that appearance? Their hair/leaves were braided and at ankle-length. The one on the left wore a cloth with a pattern of triangles and the other had a pattern of squares. The house's occupants looked up, surprised to see a new roommate. "Who are you?" asked the Kokiri.  
  
"I'm Skull Kid." He said automatically.  
  
The female scrubs looked at him. "That doesn't sound like a Deku Scrub name." Said the triangle-patterned one.  
  
"Well, I'm not a Deku Scrub." Said Skull Kid.  
  
The Kokiri frowned. "You look like a Deku Scrub."  
  
The Scrubs got off their bench and waddled over. The square-patterned scrub sniffed him. "You smell like a Deku Scrub."  
  
"And you sound like a Deku Scrub." Said the triangle-patterned scrub.  
  
"No really, I'm an imp." Said Skull Kid. "Let me just take off this mask." He pulled off the Deku mask and was suddenly himself again. The three people in the house gasped. "I'm a Skull Kid named Skull Kid. I'm here on a quest. Who are you guys?"  
  
The Kokiri finally spoke. "I'm Mido, official cook of the Kokiri race. My fairy and I made the best cakes in the forest until the demon came."  
  
"I'm Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak squeak burp. The other scrub is my sister, Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak burp." Said the square-patterned scrub.  
  
"Nice to meet you." Said Skull Kid. He took off his hat, shaking Tael. "This is my fairy, Tael."  
  
Mido was surprised to see a fairy that had not been captured and put in a glass cage like the others. Skull Kid told them of his quest to save the world from Majora. They didn't believe him at first, but he had turned into an imp from a Deku Scrub, so they weren't sure what to believe. Skull Kid wanted to know what the situation here at the forest was. Mido started the story. "One week ago, just after sunrise, all the monsters in the Woods came out and attacked the village. They were led by Master Stalfos and another monster, humanoid but fifteen feet tall, with green skin, tattoos, a loincloth, a huge sword and a weird mask."  
  
"That would be the demon Odolwa, one of Majora's lieutenants." Said Skull Kid.  
  
Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak squeak burp nodded. "That was what he said his name was. After they secured the village, they held the two leaders, that Saria girl and our new queen Deku squeak squeak squeak squeak burp burp heeeep until the demon Majora arrived. He did something unbelievably horrible."  
  
"What did he do?" asked Tael.  
  
"Something too horrible for me to speak of." Said the scrub.  
  
Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak burp continued where her sister had left off. "The demon, using only his right hand, ripped the Deku Tree form the earth, roots and all. He then incinerated the Deku Sprout with his heat vision, and said he was taking the tree back to the moon with him for firewood. He put us to work mining the diamonds that had been buried beneath the tree, for his collection of priceless stones. There are millions of diamonds in the mine, and we find hundreds each shift. The guards take them all, and beat us up if we protest or even look at a guard the wrong way. We are in dire need of aid. You say you can help us. Is that true?"  
  
Skull Kid carefully considered his response. "I will help you, but I need some information. Where did Odolwa take Saria and the Queen?"  
  
"When the lands combined, so did the temples." said Mido. "The Forest and Woodfall Temples have become Forestfall temple. That is where the demon took Saria and the Deku's Queen."  
  
"Would any of you happen to know how we could work our way through the woods?"  
  
Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak burp shook her head. "When the demons arrived, the hero of the Deku Race, Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep hid himself to see what was going on. Majora was too busy gloating over his conquest to sense him, so when he left for the other areas of Hymina, and Odolwa went to the temple with his captives in hand, the hero was able to follow him to the temple, memorizing the route. He made his way back and planned a sneak attack to get into the tree house of the great hero Link, knowing there would be useful supplies in there. But since the tree house is in the Master Stalfos' throne room, formerly our Queen's throne room, it would not be easy to get into. But he tried. He got caught, and attempted to fight his way out. Just before being captured, he killed a female Wolfos. This has caused all the Wolfos to go into a rage and are demanding the death of our hero."  
  
"What's so bad about killing a female Wolfos?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak squeak burp was about to answer, but Tael interrupted. "Wait, I know this one! Male Wolfos are very protective of their mates, even though female Wolfos can take care of themselves. In the wild, if a male Wolfos does anything harmful to a female, the female's mate will often challenge the perpetrator to a deathmatch in retaliation. The Wolfos must want to kill Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep very much."  
  
"They do," said Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak squeak burp, looking a bit peeved that Tael had interrupted her. "Our hero is now awaiting some unknown sentence, probably death."  
  
"No, they're going to turn him into a Mad Scrub. I overheard a conversation the Master Stalfos had with an emissary." Said Skull Kid. The scrubs gasped. "I take it that's bad." The scrubs nodded. "Well, I'll try to save your hero before it's too late. Don't worry. Now, shouldn't we be getting some sleep or something?"  
  
Mido frowned. "Shouldn't you be saving us now or something?"  
  
"I need time to think up a plan, and I'll probably need to experience a day in your lives to get the lowdown on the area." They didn't look too happy about this, but agreed. It was obvious that they were hoping for an immediate rescue. Skull Kid turned into a Deku Scrub and dove into a spare Deku Flower, soon falling asleep.  
  
The next day, they were all woken up by a Wolfos' howl. The sisters pulled a still-snoozing Skull Kid from his flower. Tael quickly flew into his hat as the front door opened. A Stalfos ushered them out. They joined a line of other scrubs and Kokiri, heading for the Tree's clearing. As they passed onto the banks of the stream going to the meadow, the exhausted workers from the graveyard shift were led back to the village. They looked even worse than the slaves of the current shift were! They looked like they hadn't slept well for a long time, even though it had only been a week. Skull Kid was starting to get really worried, since the graveyard shift workers were starting to look a lot like he had when he hadn't had food or a bath for over a year. Soon, the line reached the clearing where the Deku Tree used to be. In its place was a shallow pit, dug by the hands of four dozen-slave laborers. The river of poison water had been diverted away from the pit t keep the diamonds  
from any possible acid damage. At the bottom of the pit, Skull Kid could see the glittering of diamonds, leftover from the last shift. As the workers entered the pit, they got into certain positions, each to a task. Most were made to dig up the diamonds with crude stone pickaxes. Others were made to wheel carts from the work area to the payload elevator and back. The payload elevator was a system of pulleys that lifted and lowered a platform for the diamonds dumped onto them from the carts. When the platform reached the top, the surrounding Wolfos and Hiploops would move the diamonds from the lifts onto sheets of burlap. The burlap was then tied to a Dragonfly, forming a sack, so it would fly the diamonds to a specified drop-off point. Skull kid had no idea how the diamonds would get to Majora, but he was sure they would make it to him. What terrified Skull Kid the most was what ran the elevators. The complex pulley system was connected to a giant exercise wheel. Scrubs and  
Kokiri were forced into the wheel and whipped until they ran, turning the wheel and lifting the elevator. But he was surprised when he saw the expression on the faces of the Stalfos overseers whenever they punished a worker for not toiling fast enough. They actually looked sorry. Was that possible? As everyone knew, Stalfos and all the other beasts were evil monsters. Or were they? What if they really were only being evil because they had no choice? What if they were being mean because they had become that way thanks to people perceiving them as nothing more than monsters? Acting like beasts because everyone saw them as such? He knew that in Hyrule, everyone saw Deku Scrubs as monsters, despite their intelligence. But in Termina, Deku Scrubs had become members of modern society. Did that mean something? Did it show that monsters had feelings too? After all, the Stalfos had all been human once. And the other monsters might not be so dumb and dangerous after all. The Wolfos  
guarding the Palace Gate had talked, and Skull Kid had never known of a Wolfos to talk before. He could understand the feeling. During his thousand or so years of poverty, everyone looked down at him because he was basically thought of as a monster, an imp, something different from the norm. In that case, were these monsters any different from him? His musings were interrupted by a sharp snap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a Stalfos brandishing a whip. "Hey, you, back to work!" he said. Skull Kid paused, looking at the guard. The guard whipped him again. Skull Kid had felt worse. This didn't hurt him as much as it would have centuries ago. The Stalfos seemed surprised, and a bit worried. "Please get to work. I don't know how much that hurt, but I don't want to get in trouble with the Master Stalfos for failing my job. Please, get to work before you force me to hit you again." Skull Kid could see the guilt and sadness in the skeleton's eyes. He turned away, looking  
for a spare tool to use to get to work. As he walked away, Skull Kid could hear the guard's sigh of relief. This confirmed his suspicions. It seemed that the Kokiri and the Scrubs were not the only slaves in this forest. Skull Kid found a cart and quickly started wheeling it back and forth with the diamonds. He saw other people getting whipped, and each time he saw the Stalfos responsible having a sad expression on his or her face. He nodded to himself and kept working, not wanting to put any more Stalfos through a guilt trip. He carted for hours, getting exhausted, just like his fellow workers. Finally, it was time for lunch. Each worker was given a bowl of something that looked, smelled, and tasted even worse than gruel. After the fifteen-minute break, everyone got back to work. Skull Kid headed over to the carts, only to learn it was now his turn to help with the elevators. The exercise wheels were horrible. Skull Kid had to keep from losing his footing and being trampled  
by the other runners. There was always a Stalfos nearby to whip them to go faster. For some reason, they had to keep running even when the carts were loading. It hardly seemed efficient, but then Skull Kid noticed that the wheel wasn't actually hooked up to the pulley mechanism until the carts came by to drop off the diamonds. Then the elevator was hooked up until it reached the top, where it was unhooked so the diamonds could be unloaded, then hooked and unhooked once more so the elevator returned to the ground. It was a horrible ordeal. At last, the sun set, signaling the end of the workday, so they all went back to the village for the night. They passed the graveyard shift, which didn't look as if they had gotten much sleep during the day. Skull Kid finally reached the house he was sharing with Mido and the two sisters, his roommates right behind them. When they got in, the door was locked, as always, so they were able to talk.  
  
They were impressed with how he had stood up to two lashings without batting an eye. "How did you keep from screaming out?" asked Mido. "I've been whipped half a dozen times and each time I had to struggle to keep from crying."  
  
"Yeah, each time I've been whipped, it felt like a stretchy root whacking me in the face, but a thousand times worse." Said Deku heeeep heeeep heeeep squeak burp said.  
  
Skull Kid shrugged as he let Tael out of his hat to stretch his wings. "It's no big deal. I've lived through worse." They all gave him a look saying to explain but he revealed no more on this subject. Skull Kid told them how he had discovered the guards themselves had no choice but to obey the Master Stalfos. They were slaves too. The prisoners weren't sure whether to believe this or not. Eventually, they got tired and went to bed. Skull Kid put on the Stone Mask. "Tael, tonight's the night. Tonight we will break out of here and free everyone from the Master Stalfos."  
  
"How are we getting out?" asked Tael.  
  
Skull Kid pulled a lock pick out of his belt. "This way." He said. He easily picked the lock and exited the house. The guards immediately saw the opening and closing of the door. They ran over, confused, only to find nothing. Confused, they went back to their posts. Skull Kid decided a distraction would be in order if he were going to get by the Stalfos patrolling the Palace Bridge. Finally, he got one. He pulled out his hookshot and aimed it at the fairy cage over the door of the house he had exited. He fired the hookshot, freeing the fairy. He repeated the process at every house in the village, until all of them were free. The Stalfos, Wolfos and Hiploops were running around in circles trying to catch the guardian fairies, which were trying to find their partners. The Stalfos guarding the bridge came to join the chase as well, none of them wanting to get in trouble for letting the fairies escape. Instead of heading for the Wolfos-guarded front gate, Skull Kid was reminded  
of how Link had saved a monkey from the prison cell. He looked around and saw a trail of lily pads leading to the right side of the palace. He looked behind him to make sure all the Stalfos were busy, and looked forward to make sure the Wolfos weren't looking. When the coast was clear, he took off the Stone Mask and put on the Deku Mask, transforming into a scrub. He skipped from lily pad to lily pad until he reached a small beach on the side of the palace. There was a high ledge that he could reach if he had a Deku Flower, but there was none. Fortunately, he didn't need one. He pulled off his Mask and whipped out his hookshot, aiming for one of the wooden poles that made up the palace. He fired, pulling himself up. He donned the Deku Mask once more, knowing he would need it. He walked through the passage on the ledge and found himself in the east palace garden. In front of him, on a jutting platform, was a Deku Flower. Patrolling around the garden below were several  
Stalfos. Moving back and forth was a floating platform with a Deku Flower. In front of a low wall was a watchtower with another Deku Flower and a Mad Scrub. Skull Kid remembered what Link had to do to get through. He burrowed into the Deku Flower, waiting for the platform to come closer. When it was almost at the end of its trip, Skull Kid popped out and flew to the platform. As the platform continued moving, Skull Kid waited until he was in range, then shot the Mad Scrub with a bubble, knocking him off the tower. Skull Kid burrowed into the flower then popped out and flew to the watchtower. Over the low wall he could see another platform making its rounds and another watchtower, complete with Mad Scrub. He waited until the platform was in range, then flew to it, took out the Mad Scrub, flew to the watchtower, and flew to a ledge leading to a door. He went through the door and found himself on abridge that went over the corridor that led straight to the throne room. He  
walked across the bridge and entered the West Palace Garden. He was on another ledge with a flower. He could see another watchtower with a Mad Scrub. He knocked out the Scrub from the ledge, then flew to the watchtower. Another floating platform moved back and forth in front of another low wall. He flew to the platform when it was in range and was immediately bombarded by nuts from a Mad Scrub on a watchtower across the low wall. Skull Kid knocked out the Scrub with a bubble and flew to the watchtower. He was in the final area. He could see the tall green tower that was the Palace to his right. The ledge that led to the prison cell was fairly high up. A floating platform flew from around the watchtower to the ledge. Skull Kid flew to the platform and burrowed into the flower, waiting until the platform was high enough to make the flight to the ledge. When he was at the right altitude, he popped out of the flower and flew onto the ledge.  
  
"Wow!" said Tael. "I'm impressed. You've mastered this body's powers so quickly, it's like you were born this way!"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "It was nothing. I guess this body has its own instincts. Come on, let's go save that guy!"  
  
They went into the palace and found themselves inside the jail cell. Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep looked up in surprise as they entered. "Who...who are you?"  
  
Skull Kid pulled off the mask, startling the hero. "I'm here to rescue you. Hold still while I cut your ropes." Skull Kid climbed the pole and sliced the Scrub down.  
  
As Skull Kid jumped down, Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep was still astounded. "How did you do that?"  
  
"It's a mask I got from a friend of mine. Since I can't really speak your names too well, mind if I just call you Deku for the moment?"  
  
Deku nodded. "Yes, it's okay. Now, why did you rescue me?"  
  
"I'm here to liberate the people of the forest from the rule of Majora. I suppose you know that the monsters are slaves as well?" Deku nodded. "Good. I'll be able to fix everything, but I need to know the path to Forestfall. Can you tell me?"  
  
Deku sighed. "I'm sorry, but I don't know where Forestfall is." Skull Kid and Tael sagged. "But I do know who can help you. When I was chasing Odolwa, he was too fast to keep up with, and I quickly got lost. My friend, the monkey Oop was able to lead me back to the village, where I tried to liberate my people. When I failed, I told the Master Stalfos I had been able to follow Odolwa to protect the monkeys. If anyone knows where the Temple is, they do."  
  
Skull Kid sighed in relief. "Thanks. Let's get you out of here. I've got to get to the temple."  
  
"You'll need to know the Sonata of Awakening if you want to enter the temple. Do you know it?" Skull Kid and Tael shook their heads. "Then I'll tell it to you. Since we don't want to alert the Master Stalfos, I'll whistle it instead of play it."  
  
Deku started whistling the tune. Skull Kid followed along with his flute. When the song was done, Skull Kid had learned the Sonata of Awakening. "Um, guys?" said Tael. "I think we're in trouble."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Deku.  
  
"Look at the throne room." Said Tael.  
  
Skull Kid and Deku looked at the throne room and saw that every Stalfos, including the Master Stalfos, saw them. The Master slowly clapped his hands, grinning. "Well played, well played. That was a nice song." His grin got wider. "As a reward for your music, you shall all die." He turned to the guards. "Prepare the pot of poison water and take them both out of that cell!" The Stalfos opened the cell door, bringing Deku and Skull Kid before the Master. By the time they reached the throne, the pot was set up. Deku was taken to the pot and dangled by his feet above the cauldron of purple water. The Master grinned at Skull Kid. "So, one of the lowly forest imps has finally showed themselves, eh? What do you have to say for yourself, weak one?" Skull Kid merely glared. The Master didn't like that. "Whip him!" Reluctantly, several Stalfos whipped Skull Kid at once. He didn't flinch even once as the whips dug into his skin, bleeding. He just glared at the Master Stalfos, the one  
who was forcing all in the village to do hard labor. The Master Stalfos was surprised that Skull Kid hadn't even cried out. "You withstood those whips. You're a strong lad, aren't you? How would you like to become my lieutenant?"  
  
Still glaring, Skull Kid said, "I'd rather be dunked in lava then become a sick bastard like you."  
  
The Stalfos gasped. The Master Stalfos was furious. "You dare insult me in my own home? Surrounded by my own men? I shall kill you!" He stood up. The Stalfos backed away from the center of the room, knowing things were about to get intense. Every one of them hoped that the little imp might defeat the Master by some chance of fate. The Master Stalfos walked off of his throne, drew his sword and shield, and prepared to fight.  
  
Skull Kid turned to Tael. "How do I beat this guy?"  
  
Tael used Z-targeting as Skull Kid backed away from the Master, his dagger and shield ready. "His shield is impervious to attacks from any other being that isn't using magic. His sword can fly and homes in on its target. He can use his sword while hiding behind his shield. The first thing you have to do is find a way to break that shield."  
  
How am I going to do that? Thought Skull Kid. The Master Stalfos threw his sword. It floated in the air then propelled itself right at Skull Kid. Skull Kid raised his shield, deflecting it. The sword wobbled then came back at him. Skull kid ran around Link's tree house, but the sword kept matching his movements. He tried running in circles, but the sword kept coming. Then he got an idea. If his shield is impervious to attacks from any other being that aren't magic, what about attacks from him? He ran towards the Master Stalfos, who was hiding behind his huge shield. He stood in front of the shield as the sword came right towards him. At the last instant, he jumped away. The sword struck the shield, shattering it. The Stalfos cheered until the Master glared at them. The Master picked up his sword and threw it at Skull Kid again. Skull Kid had another idea. He stood in front of the tree house. As the sword hurtled towards him, he jumped out of the way, and the sword imbedded  
itself in the tree trunk. Cursing, Master Stalfos ran over to pull it out. As he struggled to pull out his sword, Skull Kid ran over and slashed at the skeleton's legs with his dagger. As the holy blade made contact with the evil monster's body, it glowed faintly. The cut Skull kid had made with the dagger burned with white flames. The Master Stalfos moaned and turned around. He jumped in the air, trying to stomp Skull Kid. He rolled out of the way and made a horizontal cut, hurting the Master Stalfos once more. Skull Kid continued slashing at the skeleton whenever he had the chance. Finally, the Master Stalfos could take no more. He groaned and fell to his knees, then fell further, hitting the ground. His body combusted and broke apart. The sword, still embedded in the tree, shattered. Skull put away his weapon and shield and looked around at the awestruck Stalfos. A minute later, they started cheering, for they were free. Deku was immediately set free and then led the  
monsters to the village to free the others. Skull Kid went past them towards the tunnel to the Lost Woods/Woods of Mystery. As he started through the tunnel, Tael stopped him.  
  
"What is it, Tael?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Skull Kid, I just wanted to say two things. First of all, you did really well back there, fighting the Master Stalfos. I think Link and your mom would be proud."  
  
Skull Kid grinned. "You mean that?"  
  
"Yeah! You were totally cool! But as for the other thing, how did you get so resistant to whips?"  
  
Skull Kid stopped. "Tael, remember how I told you all of my days of thievery?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Well, I lied a little. When I started getting captured near the end of my career, my captors didn't just throw me into a cell. I was tortured first."  
  
Tael was shocked. "Why didn't you..."  
  
"It was too hurtful to talk about, but I suppose I should tell you. When the Deku caught me, I was tied low on a post and the Scrubs got to slap me around with spin attacks until I fell unconscious. When the Gorons caught me, they forced me to listen to their karaoke. When the Zoras caught me, they slapped me with frozen herring. When the undead of Ikana Canyon caught me, they let the Redeads and Gibdos suck life out of me. When the humans caught me, they beat me with stick." He shuddered. "But the Gerudo were the worst of all."  
  
"What did they do?" asked Tael, not sure he wanted to know.  
  
"They whipped me, dripped hot oil on me, whipped me, hit me on the head with the broad side of their scimitars, whipped me, break my fingers, whipped me, break my toes, whipped me, dunked me in their sewer, whipped me, unleashed their pet Shell Blades on me, whipped me, punched and kicked me, whipped me, branded me with hot irons, whipped me, whipped me, and whipped me. Oh, and did I forget to mention they whipped me?" Tael stared at him in disbelief. "The Gerudo were the last people I tried to steal from. It was after that weeklong torture session that I decided to retire. And you know where that led to." He sighed.  
  
Tael finally spoke up. "I'm sorry I brought it up." Skull Kid didn't respond as he walked into the tunnel. Tael flew after him. "Skull kid, I'm really, really sorry I"  
  
Skull kid turned around. "Don't be sorry, Tael. You didn't know. Now come on, we have to find a monkey."  
  
"You called?" said a voice from above. They looked around startled. A monkey jumped down from a tree. "I'm a monkey. Is there something you want?"  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "Can you show us the way to Forestfall?"  
  
The monkey nodded. "You should probably get some sleep first. I will show you in the morning. I'll show you a place where you can sleep safely."  
  
"Thanks, we'd really appreciate that," said Tael. The monkey led them to a meadow with a tree covered by a soft bed of moss. Skull kid took off his hat so Tael could sleep in it. Leaving it on the ground, he stretched out on the moss and went to sleep.  
  
The next morning, the monkey woke them up. He showed them a freshwater stream where Skull kid could wash up, and some tasty berry bushes. After eating, Skull Kid asked the monkey if they could go now. The monkey nodded. "Follow me!" He ran off into the woods. Skull Kid and Link gave chase. They ran past Snappers as they followed the monkey, barely dodging the deadly turtles. After about a half-hour of running, the monkey cam to a halt at the banks of a large pool of dark purple poison water. The small extinct volcano that was now Forestfall had formed the pool. The poison streamed down its sides, making the pool around its base. The streams of poison wove through the forest. All the plants on the stream banks were withered and dead from the poison. The monkey chittered. "This is Forestfall. If you wish to get to the temple within, you must have some way of bridging gaps and climbing. Well, I've got to get home. Good luck!" The monkey ran away.  
  
"He was a very polite monkey." Commented Tael.  
  
"Yeah, I wonder if he has any relation to that Oop Deku mentioned. Oh well. Let's climb this mountain." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"But Skull Kid, the entrance is way up there! How do we reach it?" said Tael, indicating a ledge with a door halfway up the side of Forestfall.  
  
Skull Kid whipped out his Hookshot and targeted a ledge closer to the ground with a dead tree. He fired and pulled himself over to the tree. He targeted another tree and repeated the process. A dozen trees later, they made it to the door. They walked in and found a tall ladder. Skull Kid climbed the ladder to the top and came out inside of Forestfall. The crater was filled with water that was an even darker shade of purple. There were many elevated bridges and pillars made from tree stumps, all with Deku Flowers and Mad Scrubs. Sticking out of the middle of the crater were two dead trees. A bizarre, new species of monster patrolled the bridges. "What are those things?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Those are Mobloops," said Tael. "A new species of monster created by Odolwa. It's half Moblin, half Hiploop. Skull kid, I should warn you of something else. The monsters around and inside the temple are doing evil of their own free will, so you'll have to kill them to get by."  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "I understand. Tell me more about these Mobloops." He said, looking at the hideous monster. It had the basic body and chain mail shorts of a Moblin, but a second set of arms and the head of a Hiploop. Also, it walked on all hands and legs.  
  
"The Mobloop can kill you by knocking you into the poisonous water below. Try to knock it into the water instead, or hit it with a couple of attacks. You should probably turn into a Scrub to get across these bridges."  
  
Skull Kid nodded and put on the Deku Mask. He skipped across the water to the nearest bridge, where he knocked an unsuspecting Mobloop into the water with a spin attack. He killed the nearby Mad Scrub and used its flower to get to the next bridge, where he killed another Mad Scrub and made the flight to a tall platform directly across from the entrance. It had flags hanging from it, a hexagonal platform with a Triforce symbol on it and an owl statue in the center, and an altar with the Deku Scrub symbol mixed with the Forest Temple seal. Skull Kid landed on it, unsure what to do. "Hey Tael, what do you think we should do?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe you should play that Sonata of Awakening Deku taught us?"  
  
"Yeah, that might work." Skull Kid reached into his pack for his flute and pulled it out. Sticking it up to his snout, he played the Sonata of Awakening. At first, nothing happened. Then, the earth started shaking. The water rippled. The trees in the middle of the crater shook as suddenly, something erupted from the water, splashing poison everywhere. As a tidal wave of poison came hurtling towards Skull Kid and Tael, Tael quickly flew into Skull Kid's hat just before Skull Kid put up his Deku Shield, sealing them beneath a completely safe shell. The wave of poison splashed over them, and subsided. When the roar of the wave passed, Skull Kid dared to peek out from under the shell. When he saw what had caused the wave, he retracted his shell and shook Tael out of his hat.  
  
"Hey, why'd you do...that...?" said Tael, before noticing the temple. Skull Kid and Tael had seen it before, back when Skull Kid had been possessed. But back then, he had been able to breathe under water to reach the temple thanks to the demon. But now, it had risen from the crater. It was a huge stone building, atop a massive stone base. The two dead trees were planted on the temple, their roots splayed over it. It looked much like it had before, but now it had the peaked roof of the Forest Temple. "Wow." Said Tael.  
  
"Come on, we've gotta go in." said Skull Kid. He burrowed into the Deku Flower in front of him and flew over to the temple, landing in front of the door. He paused.  
  
"Aren't you going to go in?" asked Tael.  
  
Skull Kid would have grinned, but his snout didn't allow for that. "Of course I'm going in! I was just checking to make sure you were going in!"  
  
"Are you saying I'm a coward?"  
  
"Of course not! I just wanted to make sure you were catching up. I wouldn't want to lose you or anything."  
  
"Great! Let's go!" Together, they entered the temple.  
  
And this ends another chapter. If anyone has any suggestions for the temple puzzles, leave them in your review. There's a chance I'll use them, but I might not. It depends partly on whether or not you do review! So please review. I'll see you next installment. 


	3. Fun in Forestfall Temple

Me again. I decided not to take reader suggestions (not that I've had many reader suggestions) and am doing this my way. Hope you like Forestfall Temple!  
  
Disclaimer: Yada Yada Yada Yada Yada.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Skull Kid and Tael looked at the entrance hall of the temple. It was big, with five trees growing from the grass-covered floor far below and towering to the ceiling. Skull Kid and Tael were sanding on top of a pillar in front of the entrance. A pair of ladders led down the pillar to the floor below, which was covered in darkness. Three trees scattered around the room had their tops chopped off and had Deku Flowers sprouting from them. Across the room was a jutting ledge with stairs leading to a door beneath a triangular carved overhang. Hideous stone faces stared from the wall. A Deku Flower was just to Skull Kid's left. Skull walked over to the edge of the pillar. "I wonder what's down there." He said.  
  
Tael flew in front of him. "Don't even think about it, Skull Kid! I can sense evil down there. There's a whole pack of Black Wolfos, Wolfos that camouflage with the darkness of many rooms in this gloomy old temple. You don't want to fight them on their own turf."  
  
Skull Kid noticed the Deku Flower next to him, and the sawed-off tree across from him. "Hey Tael, we should probably go over there, right?"  
  
"I guess so." Skull Kid waddled over to the flower, burrowed, and popped out, flying to the next tree stump. He repeated the process until he was on the stump that would take him to the room's exit, but then he noticed that the wall right behind him was covered with vines that could be used for climbing. The stump was leaning on the wall, so he was in no danger by going to the vines. He climbed up, and noticed that the vines continued to the left, where he could drop onto one of the branches of the taller trees. He walked across the treetop to another branch and saw a treasure chest on top of another tree. Unfortunately, the branches wouldn't reach. He walked to the end of the branch and got an idea. He pulled off his mask, returning to his normal impish self. Tael was worried. "Skull Kid, what if the tree isn't strong enough to support your weight?"  
  
"Don't worry Tael, it's okay." He pulled out his hookshot, targeted the chest, and fired, pulling himself over to it. He opened the chest, and found...a key? "That's it?" asked Skull Kid in disgust. "A key?" He sighed, stowing it in his pack. He used his hookshot on the branch he had come from, pulling himself over to the tree. He made his way across the branches, down the vines, and back to the stump. He turned into a Deku Scrub and flew over to the ledge. As he did, he barely avoided being struck by a pair of Skulltullas. He barely managed to fly between them, dropping onto the ledge. He ran up the stairs and through the door. He found himself in a corridor. At the other end was a door with the symbol of the temple (the Deku seal with the four blades of the Forest Symbol in the background) and another Skulltulla hanging from the ceiling. Skull Kid carefully approached. As he did, it dropped from the ceiling. Skull Kid knew he would get hit if he approached. He couldn't  
remember how to kill it. "Tael, how do I kill the Skulltulla?"  
  
Tael flew over to it. "To kill the Skulltulla, you have to attack it when it turns its back to you. But if you approach with a head-on attack, it'll hit you. Use a ranged attack." Skull Kid took that advice to heart. When the Skulltulla turned around, Skull Kid spat a bubble at it, killing it. Once it was dead, he crossed into the next room. He was on another ledge. A ramp to the left led down to a platform on the west wall with stairs leading to a door. On the east wall was another ledge, but it had no door. Instead, it supported the pillars holding up an upper ledge at the same height as the ledge Skull Kid was on. On the same platform that supported the ledge was another pillar, a bit lower, with a torch on it. The ledge held a single door. It led nowhere else around the room. Directly across from Skull Kid, on the floor level, was a wide ledge with another staircase and door. On either side of the staircase, near the room's corners, was another set of doors. The room had  
no floor. Instead, it was a pool of freshwater. The ceiling had a hole in it with a ladder leading to some upper floor. In the middle of the room was a big wooden flower raised at ceiling height with a lit brazier in the center of it. It looked like it could reach the ladder. Surrounding the wooden flower was four flowers just like it, but smaller, organic, and had teeth. However, they also had braziers in the middle, except the flames were colored. One was orange, one was blue, one was green, and one was purple. He took a step forward. Suddenly, the flames sputtered out. In their place were four...things. They looked like a cross between Gekkos and the four Poe sisters. Before Skull Kid could ask what Tael they were, the things floated off their torches, long legs unfolding. Holding torches with flames of the same color as the flames they had just changed from and their robes, each spun around and vanished. The wooden flower lowered until it was the height of the ledge  
Skull Kid was on. Then the brazier went out. The flower lowered into the water until only the blossom was sticking out. Its wooden petals folded up slightly, and suddenly the water was poisonous. Skull Kid blinked. "What was that?' he asked Tael.  
  
"I don't know, but I'm guessing we're going to have to be able to light all those braziers before we can reach that ladder. Those Gekko/Poe things must be around here somewhere. Where should we start?"  
  
Skull Kid looked around. "I guess we should try that door on the far side of the room. It's just a feeling, but my instincts have never failed me." They started down the ramp, when a Deku Baba popped out of the ground right next to them and waved its head in the air, jaws snapping, and its neck rigid. Skull Kid spun into it, killing it immediately. It left a Deku Stick behind. Skull Kid stuffed it into his pack, figuring it might come in handy. He continued down the ramp until he reached the platform with the west door. Suddenly, another Deku Baba sprung up, but this one seemed more hostile. It lunged at Skull Kid, trying to get a good bite. Skull Kid spun out of the way then spun into the Deku Baba. It squealed, then lunged again. Skull Kid spat a bubble while jumping out of the way, killing the plant. It left a Deku Nut as it died. Skull Kid put that in his pack as well. He skipped across the water to the first flower/brazier. Sing it as a platform, he skipped to the next  
to the north, then skipped to the northern platform with the three doors. He walked up the stairs to the middle door and entered it, finding himself in another corridor. Instead of a Skulltulla, this corridor contained a Blue Bubble! Skull Kid quickly shielded himself as the flaming skull flew straight towards him. It bounced off his shell, its flame dissipating. Skull Kid retracted his shell and spun into the Bubble, killing it. "Hey Tael, why do they call these things bubbles if they're just flaming flying skulls?"  
  
"I have no idea." Said Tael.  
  
"Some guardian fairy." Muttered Skull Kid.  
  
"What?" asked Tael.  
  
"Nothing, nothing." Said Skull Kid. "Let's go through that door." They went down the corridor and into the next room. It had a high, vaulted ceiling. There seemed to be nothing in there. As he took a step forward, iron bars slammed down on the door behind him. Skull Kid ran to the bars and tried to bend them or something. "We're trapped!" he yelled.  
  
`That isn't the worst thing we have to worry about!" yelled Tael. "Look!"  
  
Skull Kid turned around. Two monsters had dropped down from their hiding place on the ceiling. They were completely unfamiliar. They looked like Dinolfos, but had a shield and were completely skeletal. "Tael, what are those things?"  
  
"They're Staldinolfos! They are skeletal Dinolfos. They have a shield and breath fire. If you kill one, but don't kill the other in less than three minutes, the first Staldinolfos regenerates!" The Staldinolfos circled Skull Kid, their shields raised. Skull Kid knew that his Deku Scrub form couldn't survive fire, so he pulled off the mask and whipped out his shield and knife. One of the Staldinolfos let loose a blast of fire. Raising the mirror shield, Skull Kid deflected the flaming breath back at the monster. Since it couldn't block fire with it's dented old normal shield, it caught on fire. It dropped its weapons and ran around the room, screeching. The second Staldinolfos also used fire breath, which was easily deflected. Now both monsters were screaming and burning. Skull Kid ran in front of one of the Staldinolfos and stabbed it through where its heart would normally be. It died. He did the same thing with the other Staldinolfos, and it crumbled as well. The bars  
blocking the exit lifted. A treasure chest materialized. Skull Kid opened it and found...another key? He groaned. Tael applauded. "Skull Kid, that was great work with those Staldinolfos."  
  
"Yeah, but I would've thought I would get something better than a key. Let's go." They made their way back to the central room. Skull Kid decided to go to the door in the northwest corner of the room, on the same as ledge as him. He opened the door and found himself in a courtyard. It had a path across a bridge over a freshwater stream. There was a well full of water to his left. There was a Deku Baba far to his right and an Octorock in the pool. He saw a wall with vines at the corner of the courtyard with the Deku Baba. He charged it, knife out. The Deku Baba lunged forward, trying to get a good bite, and impaled itself on the knife. Skull Kid pulled the knife from the dead plant and started climbing. At the top was a balcony with a door. He went through the door and entered a small room with a Blue Bubble. He put out the flames using his shield and killed it with a single thrust from his knife. When it crumbled, a treasure chest appeared in the middle of the room.  
  
"It's another treasure chest." Said Tael, stating the obvious.  
  
"It better not have another stupid key." Said Skull Kid. He opened the chest and found...a map of the temple! "Okay, this is just slightly better than a key." Said Skull Kid, stowing the map away. He went to the door on the other side of the room and ended up on another balcony in a courtyard exactly the same as the first. The door in the northeast corner of the main chamber probably led here. Skull Kid saw an alcove on one of the walls with a hookshot target. He used the hookshot to pull himself over. In the alcove was a switch, which he pressed. The water in this courtyard's well drained away. Skull Kid jumped down from the alcove, landing in the stream. Swimming away from the Octorock, he pulled himself ashore and ran over to the well. He knew he shouldn't just jump in, because it was pretty deep. Fortunately, there was a ladder. He climbed down the ladder and found himself in a long dark tunnel. As he walked down it, he stumbled into something that hurt his foot. After  
yelping for a moment, he found the thing was another chest. He opened it and found...another key! Skull Kid was getting sick of these keys. He continued down the tunnel and found another ladder. He climbed up and pulled himself out, discovering he had just climbed out of the well in the first courtyard. He had just made a big circle. He sighed and headed back to the main chamber. Once inside, he put on the Deku Mask and skipped from flower to flower until he reached the west platform. He walked up the stairs and used one of his keys to unlock the door. He entered a corridor with a Skulltulla. He killed it as he had the one before and entered the next room. He was immediately confronted with a Blue Bubble. Once he killed it, he took a look around. It was large and confusing and involved a lot of pushing and pulling blocks, and poisonous water, and getting attacked by Blue Bubbles, and lighting torches, and getting attacked by ravenous moths, and...how about I just skip this  
room, okay? I'm not sure how to go into detail on it. Anyway, he got to the room's top, where he burned away the web blocking a door, and then he unlocked it with another key and entered. He found himself in a corridor that led to a set of stairs. He went up the stairs and entered a blank room. There was nothing there. He took a step forward and was suddenly attacked by a large pack of Black Wolfos. He would have been killed immediately if it weren't for two things: one, Black Wolfos didn't have the hard fur of their normal cousins. Two, he remembered the magic spinning knife attack Farore had taught him. He used said spin attack to immediately wipe out all the Black Wolfos. He then went to the door on his right side and found himself in a rectangular room. To his right was a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was a strangely familiar painting. It looked just like one of those things that had come out of the brazier in the main chamber! As he approached to take a  
closer look, the picture vanished, leaving an empty frame. He blinked. He decided he was just seeing things, and walked down the stairs. He reached a landing with another painting, just like the first. As he approached, the picture vanished once more. Skull Kid was starting to think something was wrong. He turned to go down the next set of stairs and saw another painting just like the first two hanging from the ceiling just in front of him. As he started down the stairs, the picture vanished again! He went down the stairs and found himself in a small room. There was another painting. He knew what would happen. Sure enough, the picture vanished. He ignored it and opened the only door in the room. Inside was a room that looked just like the one where he had battled the Staldinolfos before, except large tree roots descended from the ceiling. There was a door on the other side of the room. As Skull Kid stepped forward, iron bars shut both doors. A single Staldinolfos jumped down  
from the ceiling and attacked. Skull Kid easily dispatched of it. Suddenly, two more Staldinolfos dropped down! Skull Kid disposed of them as well. Both doors unlocked. A treasure chest appeared. He prayed to his mother that it wasn't another stupid key. He opened it. It wasn't. It was a crossbow and a full quiver of fifty arrows! Skull Kid saw immediate uses for it. He decided to go back to the room he had just left and test it out on those weird paintings. He went back through the door he had originally come through, ending up back in the staircase. He saw the weird painting. Arming his crossbow (and thanking Farore for teaching him how to use it), Skull Kid fired an arrow at the weird painting. It burned up and disappeared. He then carefully walked up the stairs. When he could see the second painting, he shot it, causing it to burn up as well. He knew it was too late for him to shoot the one hanging from the ceiling, so he went all the way up the stairs to the first  
landing. Just at the top of the stairs, Skull Kid shot the painting. Once more, it burned up. He ran back to the second landing and shot the final painting, the one hanging from the ceiling. As it burned up, the strange creature emerged from what remained of the painting and flew down the stairs to the room just before where the Staldinolfos had attacked. He ran after it. He was soon face-to-face with the hideous creature. "Tael, what is that thing?"  
  
Tael, who had been enjoying a long rest in Skull Kid's hat, flew out and was surprised. "Isn't that one of the creatures that appeared from the brazier at the beginning?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. What is it?' asked Skull Kid, looking the monster over. It had the tattered robe of a Poe, but the face and limbs of a Gekko. It's legs dangled uselessly from the bottom of the cloak. Spines grew from its back. Its yellow eyes peered out from across its squat ugly face. It held a torch with an orange flame.  
  
Tael jingled. "That's a Pekkoe! It's like a Poe and a Gekko. It spins and vanishes like a Poe, but hops around insanely like a Gekko." The Pekkoe spun towards Skull Kid. Tael Z-targeted the ghost frog. Skull Kid deflected the thing. It spun around again and vanished. Its torch was still visible, so they knew where it was. When it reappeared, Skull Kid shot it with a crossbow bolt. The Pekkoe screeched and spun into invisibility. When it reappeared once again, Skull Kid shot it. It vanished. When it reappeared, it was shot once more. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It screeched and poofed out of existence. Its torch fell to the floor and shattered.  
  
"Well, that was easy." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Yeah, I thought it would be harder." Admitted Tael.  
  
"Hey, a treasure chest just appeared where the ghost died! Let's see what's in it." Skull Kid opened the chest and found..."Oh no, not another small key!" he groaned.  
  
"At least we're using them as we go." Said Tael.  
  
Grumbling, Skull Kid went back through the Staldinolfos room to the next hallway. It was identical to the one he had just left, except there were four paintings on the wall next to the stairs. These paintings were of a blue Pekkoe. "This is too easy." Said Skull Kid. "Get ready, Tael."  
  
"I'm ready." He said.  
  
Skull Kid shot an arrow at each painting. When each one was destroyed, the blue Pekkoe from the painting and the temple's main chamber appeared. The Pekkoe started a spin attack. Skull Kid deflected while Tael kept it Z-targeted. As the Pekkoe made itself invisible, Skull Kid readied his crossbow. When the ghost frog reappeared, Skull Kid shot it. It screeched and vanished. It reappeared. Skull Kid shot it. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. The Pekkoe screeched and poofed out of existence. Its torch fell to the ground and shattered. A treasure chest appeared in its place. Skull Kid sighed. "And let me guess, the reward for an easy battle such as this is another Small Key." He opened the chest.  
  
"It's a compass!" said Tael.  
  
"Well, it's better than a key." Said Skull Kid, cheering up a little. He walked up the stairs to the first landing and continued to the second. He opened the door with a key and entered a room with a hole in the floor and a Wallmaster. It was easy to dodge and slay the Wallmaster, but there seemed to be nothing else they could do but jump down the hole. They did. Fortunately, the drop did not hurt Skull Kid. (I've always wondered why Link can drop three floors and not get hurt but can get hurt if he falls from lesser heights. Weird.) He was in a room with a pool of poison water in the middle. Inside the pool were five pillars, four rotating a central one with a torch. The pillars were cleverly designed to look like the wooden flower from the main chamber. On the wall across from the torch platform was an ice-encased eye switch that would probably open the door at the other end of the room. The only way to hit the switch would be to shoot an arrow through the torch and  
directly hit the ice, melting it and opening the eye. The problem was that the torch was on the edge of its pillar, so the only way to shoot through the flame would be to fire it from one of the circling platforms. Skull Kid had to make a jump to the rotating platforms by climbing a ladder to a ledge, then jumping over. He readied his crossbow. "Tael, I need you to target the switch for me so I'll know when to shoot it."  
  
"I`m on it!" said Tael. He flew over to the switch. Skull Kid pointed his crossbow to a point just over the brazier so he would know where to shoot. When the switch came around with Tael, Skull Kid fired his arrow. It went right through the brazier and hit the switch, activating it. The door at the end of the room opened. Tael flew over to Skull Kid. "Nice shot! Are you ready to move on?" Skull Kid's response was to jump off the platform to the ground, barely missing the poison water, and run for the door. "I'll take that as a yes." Said Tael, as he quickly flew after the imp.  
  
As soon as they entered the next room, iron bars slammed shut on the door. They looked around. They were on a small ledge in a fairly empty room. Hanging from the ceiling were five blocks with pieces of a picture painted on each side. There was a door to their right, but it was shut as well. Directly in front of them was a painting of the green Pekkoe. Skull Kid shot it. It burned up. The five blocks fell from the ceiling. A guttural, slightly feminine voice croaked out. "If you want to fight me, you must assemble a block portrait of me in sixty seconds, starting...now! Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Skull Kid jumped down from the ledge and frantically started moving the blocks. He knew one of the five wouldn't have the right picture on top, but he couldn't see the tops of the blocks to tell which was which. Fortunately, Tael was able to help by flying high enough to see which blocks were which. He gave Skull Kid directions, and together they completed the puzzle just before time ran  
out. The blocks sunk into the floor, and the green Pekkoe appeared, looking peeved. It spun into Skull Kid. As usual, he blocked, and it became invisible. When it reappeared, he shot it with his crossbow. It screeched and became invisible once more. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It vanished. It reappeared. It was shot. It screamed and poofed out of existence. Its torch fell to the floor and shattered. The doors opened. They waited to see if a treasure chest would appear. It didn't.  
  
"Huh! I would've thought we'd receive another stupid key." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Oh well." Said Tael. "Let's use the door." They went through the door and found themselves on the previously inaccessible east ledge in the main chamber. Three of the four colored braziers had been relit with the defeat of three Pekkoes. There was only one more to go. Where could it be? Skull Kid noticed a switch, and stepped on it. A ladder appeared, leading to the lower platform. Tael suddenly had an idea. He saw the torch on the pillar in front of and just below the platform they were on now. He saw the unlit brazier on the wooden flower. He saw how the two torches were lined up if you looked down at them from the current platform. He turned to Skull Kid, who had also noticed the brazier. He grinned. "Hey Skull Kid, you thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Tael.  
  
Skull Kid smiled. "Of course I am." He whipped out his crossbow. "Tael, please target the brazier. Tael obliged. Using Tael's targeting, Skull Kid lined up with the torch in front of him and shot an arrow. It passed through the fire and into the brazier on the flower, lighting it. The flower's petals unfolded, purifying the water. The flower then elevated until it was at the same height as Skull Kid's platform. It started to rotate. Several Deku Flowers popped from the now-pure water. Another Deku Flower popped up right next to him, providing him with a means of transport to the wooden flower. Having no other leads, Skull Kid slapped on the Deku Mask. He then burrowed into the flower, popped out, and flew to the flower. He dropped onto one of its pinning petals and took off the mask. Looking up, he sighed. There seemed to be no way to get to the ladder and whatever was upstairs. He walked towards the center of the flower. As he did, the fourth and final Pekkoe, this one  
purple appeared. It cackled and split apart into four purple Pekkoes, which vanished. They suddenly reappeared and started circling Skull Kid. Skull Kid had no way of telling which Pekkoe was which, and the flower's spinning didn't help. He ran through the circle, surprising the Pekkoes, and jumped off the flower, landing in the water. He swam over to the nearest platform (the east one) on climbed up. The Pekkoes flew down and started circling him once more. They didn't attack, they just circled. Skull Kid knew three of them were probably fake, but he had no way to tell which one was real. "Tael, any ideas on how I can figure out which Pekkoe is real?" he asked hopefully.  
  
Tael thought. "I think I saw one of them spin around when it first appeared. That's probably the real one."  
  
"Great! Which Pekkoe spun?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
Skull Kid groaned. "I'll have to find out the old fashioned way then." He shot an arrow at one of the Pekkoes. It faded away. He tried another ghost. It was the wrong one as well. There were two left to choose from. As they circled, Skull Kid paused, listening to his instincts. He shot one of the Pekkoes. It screeched and vanished, showing it had been the right one.  
  
"Nice job!" said Tael.  
  
"Yeah, but I want to be more careful next time. Tael, fly high so you can see the spinning Pekkoe as it appears so I can shoot it."  
  
Tael obliged. The four Pekkoes reappeared. Tael saw one of them spin. "Okay Skull Kid, it's coming. Wait...wait...fire!" Skull Kid shot the Pekkoe. It screeched and vanished. There was a pause, then the Pekkoes reappeared again. Tael called out. "Skull Kid, the one on your immediate left is the right one. Shoot it!" Skull Kid hit the Pekkoe. It screeched, but did not vanish. All three false Pekkoes faded away. Tael flew back to Skull Kid.  
  
"Tael, what's happening?" asked Skull Kid. The Pekkoe was just floating there, cackling to itself.  
  
"Uh oh." Said Tael. "Gekkos never fight alone."  
  
"What about the last three ghosts?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"These things are half Poe, so they fight like Poes. However, this one might be a little more Gekko then Pekkoe. And as I said, Gekkos never fight alone. They always call on a big, dangerous sidekick whenever they need help."  
  
"So that means..."  
  
"We're in trouble."  
  
Indeed they were. The Pekkoe turned around and let loose a hideous cry. In the room's northwest corner, the ground shook then exploded outward as something erupted from the floor. It looked like a Giant Snapper, a turtle that spins into people with its hard, spiked shell, but it was skeletal. The Pekkoe flew over to the Snapper. "Tael, that looks like an undead Giant Snapper."  
  
"I think it is. It can probably fly, so we won't be safe if we climb up to the top platform. I don't remember how to kill Snappers. I'm sorry, Skull Kid."  
  
Skull Kid thought back to a decade ago, when Link described how he had defeated a Giant Snapper and Gekko in Woodfall. "Don't be sorry, Tael. I know how to stop it!"  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes, I do." With that Skull Kid slapped on the Deku Mask, transforming once again. By that point, the Pekkoe had reached the Undead Giant Snapper. Hopping onto the Snapper's back, the Pekkoe pointed towards Skull Kid and Tael. The Snapper nodded and pulled into its shell, sprouting its spikes. It started spinning, then floated a few inches into the air. Spinning, it flew over the water. Skull Kid quickly hopped across the water and flower braziers to the nearest Deku Flower. He burrowed inside and waited for the Snapper. Since this thing could fly, he knew he had to time his jump perfectly. Just as the Snapper and Pekkoe started to spin over his flower, he popped out, knocking the Snapper onto the water, where it hovered, stunned, and the Pekkoe off the Snapper's back. Skull Kid quickly dropped from his flight and took off the mask. "Tael, target the Pekkoe!" Tael flew over to the Pekkoe, who was making its way back to its stunned steed. Skull Kid hit it with an arrow. The  
Pekkoe screeched and began spinning, which would prevent Skull Kid from using any more arrows this round since they would all be easily deflected. Skull Kid slapped the mask on and burrowed back into the flower. When the Pekkoe hopped back onto the Snapper, it recovered, and spun over Skull Kid's flower, smashing into the wooden flower. They turned around, then spun back over to Skull Kid's flower. Just as they went over him, Skull Kid popped out, knocking the Snapper unconscious again and hurling the Pekkoe in the air. Skull Kid ripped off the mask, targeted the ghost frog, and fired an arrow. The Pekkoe screeched and started spinning. Skull Kid slapped on the mask and burrowed into the flower yet again. The Pekkoe jumped back onto the Snapper, and spun over Skull Kid's flower, smashing into a wall. Skull Kid waited until they were almost on top of him, then shot out again, stunning the Snapper and knocking off the Pekkoe. However, when it was knocked off this time, it was  
thrown right at the stem of the wooden flower, bashing its head. As it floated around dazedly, Skull Kid peeled off the mask, targeted the Pekkoe, and fired one last arrow. It pierced the ghost frog's heart. It screamed. The Giant Undead Snapper shrunk to nothingness. The Pekkoe screamed again and burned up, its flesh crumbling and peeling away, splashing into the water, until nothing was left but the purple flame from the torch. It flew over to the final brazier and lit it, completing the set. The flower stopped rotating. Skull Kid pumped his fist. "Oh yeah! I am unstoppable!" He high-fived Tael. (Sort of) "Now, let's see if we can get to that ladder." Said Skull Kid. He put the mask back on and skipped over to the east platform. He climbed the ladder to the upper part, and prepared to burrow into the flower when Tael got his attention.  
  
"Skull Kid, a treasure chest is on the flower now." Skull Kid took a look and saw it was so. But this was no normal chest. This one was done in gold with blue paint. There was obviously something important in it. Skull Kid flew over to the flower and landed on it. He ran over to the chest and opened it, finding...another key! But this was no ordinary key. It was the Boss key!  
  
"Finally, the second most important thing in this whole temple!" said Skull Kid. He stowed it in his pack. "Tael, how do we make this flower rise?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I think I've found the answer." Said Skull Kid. "Come over here!" Tael was floating over a plaque in front of the brazier with a hole just below it. Skull Kid ran over. He read the plaque out loud. "Insert key to raise flower." Skull Kid pulled out one of his small keys and inserted it in the hole. The flower shook, then rose to the ceiling. Skull Kid pulled out the key. The flower shook and went back to the level of the upper platforms. He put the key back in the hole, raising the flower to the top once again. "Why did you do that?" asked Tael.  
  
"I was just testing it to see if it would still work after we leave." He moved for the ladder, then thought of something. He pulled off his mask, then pulled a long piece of string from his pockets. He tied it to the handle end of the key, then started for the ladder. As he began to ascend the ladder, the string grew taught. He gave the string a sharp tug, pulling the key from the hole. The flower started to descend. Skull Kid let go of the string, letting it fall onto the flower so anyone who came to the temple would be able to get up here the same way he had. He continued up the ladder, reaching a ledge with a locked door. He opened the door with his last small key and went inside. He found a corridor. The door at the other end was locked with a different kind of lock. Skull Kid paused. "Tael, are you ready?"  
  
"I'm ready for whatever is behind this door." Said Tael bravely. Skull Kid pulled out the Boss Key and was about to open the door when Tael stopped him. "Skull Kid, before we go in and face the first of Majora's four demon servants, I wanted to say it's been great knowing you. Just in case we don't make it out of here, I want to say beforehand that you're my best friend."  
  
Skull Kid smiled. "I know. You're my best friend too, Tael. But we're going to make it out of here. I promise you that."  
  
"But if we don't..."  
  
"We'll just go up there. You know. We'll still be together. We'll be safe from whatever Majora or his father cooks up while we're dead, since we'll be in the one place he can never go to." Skull Kid sighed. "But I can't die before the quest is over. I'll have let everyone, including myself, down. So let's do this. I'm going to do my mother proud. This is one demon that does not live to see the sunset. We'll beat him as a team, like we've done throughout this temple." He put the key in the lock, opening the door. "Let's go." They ran through the door, which locked behind them. A huge pillar took up most of the round room. The ceiling was fifty feet high and vaulted, and covered in strange colors, all green and red and blue. There was nothing around the pillar. There was a staircase leading up to the top of the pillar. Skull Kid walked up. At the top, he stepped off of the stairs and onto the pillar. The pillar top was maybe fifty feet in diameter. He noticed that the pillar  
edge had a railing to keep people from falling off. On the walls surrounding the pillar were several paintings, all of which showed the same drab scenery. Skull Kid walked forward a few steps and suddenly noticed two figures hanging from the ceiling, at opposite sides of the room. They were held in place by vines tied around their hands. They hung just a few feet over the pillar. One was a girl with green hair and a green tunic. She had a fairy sleeping on her shoulder. The other figure was a female Deku Scrub, just like the two that Skull Kid had shared a room with, except for a few things. She had two white dots over her eyes, earrings, long sleeves, and a flower growing from the end of her ankle-length hair/leaves. They appeared to be asleep. Skull Kid immediately recognized them. The girl was Saria, Sage of the Forest. The fairy was her guardian fairy, Patch. The Deku Scrub was the Deku Queen, Deku squeak squeak squeak squeak burp burp heeeep. Since she had been  
kidnapped as well, Skull Kid had no doubt that she was one of the new Sages. Of course, now that the lands had combined, her title was unknown. "Tael, fly up and wake them up." He said.  
  
Tael flew up to Saria and Patch and started jingling until they woke up. He did the same thing with the Deku Queen. Patch was the first to fully wake up. He flew off Saria's shoulder. "Saria, someone's here to rescue us!"  
  
Saria and the Queen fully woke up at once. "Link?" asked Saria.  
  
"Deku squeak squeak burp squeak burp heeeep?" asked the Queen.  
  
They both noticed Skull Kid. "You're not Link." Said Saria.  
  
"And you're not my hero!" said the Queen.  
  
"Where's Link?" asked Saria.  
  
"Where's my Deku?' asked the Queen.  
  
Skull Kid addressed the Queen first. "Your majesty, your hero is back at the village, trying to make relations between the Kokiri and Deku Scrubs with the monsters of the forest."  
  
The Queen seemed somewhat relieved. "He'll succeed that. He's a great hero and a great diplomat."  
  
Skull Kid turned to Saria. "As for Link, I'm surprised you haven't heard. I would have thought your captor would have told you Majora captured him, along with Navi, Princess Zelda, and my fairy's sister."  
  
Saria was disappointed. "Odolwa did tell me, but I was sure he was lying. I was sure Link was stronger. I guess I was wrong."  
  
Skull Kid tried to cheer her up. "It's okay Saria. Link and the others are still alive. I'm the one who's been sent to rescue you and the other captured Sages. That includes you, Deku Queen."  
  
The Queen was surprised. "You mean I'm actually a Sage, just like my friend Saria?"  
  
"Yes, your ancestor built Woodfall temple."  
  
The Queen suddenly realized what Skull Kid had said a moment ago. "Wait a minute, you're the one here to save the world? We're all doomed, then. You're just an imp!"  
  
Skull Kid wasn't happy with that. "The gods themselves chose me for this quest! They must have thought I would be able to do this, don't you?"  
  
The Queen shrugged, which was no easy feat since she was hanging from her wrists. "You're still just an imp."  
  
Saria took a closer look. "Hey, we've met before, haven't we? Oh, I remember! You were in the Chamber of Sages a week ago, before...he came. I met you in the Sacred Forest Meadow ten years ago as well, didn't I? You and Link were searching for Navi with two fairies following you? Link told me all about your adventures on the way to Mesmoria! I met you a hundred years ago also, our first meeting. I taught you my song. Do you still remember it?"  
  
Skull Kid grinned. "Of course I remember it. But we don't have time to reminisce. Where is the demon?"  
  
Saria and the Queen exchanged glances. "We don't know." Said Patch.  
  
"The last time we saw him was late last night, when he finished torturing us for the day." Said Saria.  
  
"What kind of torture? I've faced all kinds in my day." Said Skull Kid.  
  
Saria grimaced. "He made us watch his karaoke."  
  
Skull Kid shuddered. "That's it? He made you watch karaoke? What kind of torture is that?" asked Tael.  
  
"It's torture when the person doing the karaoke is a bad dancer, a bad singer, and sings bad songs." Said the Queen.  
  
"After finishing another bout of karaoke that lasted till midnight, he left. We finally went to sleep after forcing the horrifying image of Odolwa's dance from our heads." Said Patch.  
  
Skull Kid pulled out his crossbow. "Well, you'll never have to see demons doing karaoke again, because I'm getting you out of here. Saria, you can blast open locked doors, right?"  
  
"Um, I think so." She said.  
  
"Good. Now just hold still while I use my trusty crossbow to get you both safely to the ground."  
  
He aimed at the vine on Saria's right hand when he was suddenly interrupted. "Don't even THINK of pulling that trigger." Everyone looked up to see Odolwa! He had been hiding on the ceiling the entire time, his tattoos and green skin camouflaging him from sight! He must have been there the entire time, listening to their conversation. Odolwa let go of his grip on the ceiling and backflipped, landing on the ground feet-first. Skull Kid looked over the fearsome creature from Hell. He had obviously been freed from mask imprisonment the same way Majora had, using the Triforce of Power. He was twelve feet tall with green skin. He was covered in red and blue tattoos. He wore wooden slippers and a loincloth that completely wrapped around his privates by going underneath his legs. He wore a blue, square bracelet on either hand. He wore purple shoulder pads, also decorated with red and blue symbols. He had a necklace with a blue stone. In his right hand he wielded a huge machete and  
in his left he wielded a big green-and-blue diamond shaped shield. To all appearances he seemed to be wearing a mask, but it was actually an organic shell to protect his face from damage. It did look a lot like a mask though, but only because the demon wanted it to. Two triangular projections stuck out from either side of the shell, with diamond earrings hanging from them. Three tattered streamers waved about the top of the shell. The shell had holes for Odolwa's mouth and eyes, allowing everyone to peer into his blood-red orbs. The mouth looked like a frown with jagged teeth, Because of the shell, whenever the demon spoke, it gave a sort of echoing boom to his voice. War paint was all over the shell, making it look even more like a mask. He howled and raised his sword. "My master has placed me in charge of this temple and the surrounding forest/swamp. I sense that you have slain my servant, the Master Stalfos, and freed my slaves. This is intolerable! I shall kill you and  
present your head to my master on a pike!" He bellowed in a loud wailing keel.  
  
ODOLWA: DANCING DEMON WARRIOR  
  
Skull Kid unsheathed his dagger and raised his Mirror Shield. He wished he had some light magic, but of course he had none. Tael targeted the demon. Odolwa started dancing and singing in the demon language. Skull Kid backed away. He knew that the dance was just to lure victims in. If anyone got close, Odolwa would lop his or her heads off. Skull kid readied his crossbow. He knew if he shot now, Odolwa would merely block it. When he stopped dancing for a moment, Skull Kid shot him with an arrow. Odolwa howled and stumbled, stunned. Skull kid ran up and performed multiple strikes with his dagger, hurting the demon greatly. On the sides, the prisoners cheered him on. As Odolwa recovered, Skull kid tried to back away, but he was too slow. Odolwa knocked him away with his shield then started dancing over to Skull Kid. When he was close enough, Odolwa performed a massive jump attack, shaking the ground as his sword slashed down, barely missing Skull Kid. However, his attack was a  
little too strong and the sword was now stuck in the floor. Odolwa struggled, trying to pull it out. Skull kid ran behind him and performed a few jump attacks. The demon was really angry now. He pulled his sword from the ground and swung it, trying to chop off Skull kid's head. Fortunately, the imp was too close for the swipe to affect him and performed several more jump attacks. Odolwa roared and backflipped away. He switched to a different dance, jumping from one foot to the other, singing something else as well. A group of huge cockroaches swarmed onto the pillar, making a beeline for Skull Kid. As Skull Kid killed them off with his spinning knife attack, Odolwa formed a Ring of Fire around him. Odolwa kept dancing outside of the ring. Skull Kid shot the demon with an arrow, stunning him. As the ring lowered, Skull Kid ran over and performed some more jump attacks. When Odolwa recovered, Skull Kid quickly jumped away before he could get hit. Odolwa danced some more,  
summoning even more cockroaches. Skull Kid spun them to death as well. He looked up, just in time to dodge another massive jump attack. Before Odolwa could turn around, Skull Kid stabbed him in the back. Odolwa screamed and spun around. Skull Kid backflipped away from Odolwa's chop. The demon summoned another Ring of Fire around Skull Kid and did a different dance, stomping the ground hard. His stomping caused rocks to fall from the ceiling, which Skull Kid quickly blocked with his upward-raised shield. When the ring dissipated, Odolwa ran towards Skull Kid, waving his machete. Skull Kid ran forward as well. He rolled beneath the demon's legs, spun around behind him, and stabbed him a few more times. He backflipped as Odolwa frantically tried to cut off Skull Kid's head. Then, he did his bug-summoning dance. Instead of cockroaches, this time he summoned a huge swarm of flesh-eating moths, which began to chase after Skull Kid as Odolwa danced around, occasionally lashing out  
with his sword. Skull Kid reached into his pack and pulled out the Blast Mask. Slapping it on, he ran towards Odolwa, rolling under his sword, still chased by the moths. Raising his shield, he activated the mask's power, triggering an explosion that damaged and stunned Odolwa and killed the moths. While Odolwa was stunned, Skull Kid performed multiple jump attacks. As Odolwa recovered, Skull Kid quickly got out of the way. Odolwa was even angrier now. He bent over, his sword pointing straight outwards. Then, he started spinning, his blade becoming even deadlier. As Odolwa spun towards Skull Kid, he raised his shield in anticipation. His shield was able to block the demon's spin attack, but he didn't know how to hurt him. Using the Blast Mask, Skull Kid set off another explosion, stunning and hurting Odolwa, not to mention stopping his spin attack. Skull Kid pulled off a quick dozen jump attacks. Odolwa screamed. Skull Kid almost didn't dodge the swipe that time. Odolwa  
looked extremely mad. He backed away to the far end of the pillar and did another bug-summoning dance. However, he kept doing it. And doing it. And doing it. Droves of cockroaches crawled onto the pillar, as giant swarms of moths flew out of cracks in the walls. Odolwa stood back and laughed. "Pathetic imp! Did you really think you could defeat a mighty demon and master of interpretive dance such as myself? My insect minions will chew the flesh from your bones!"  
  
Things looked bad. The prisoners had stopped cheering. Tael flew over to Skull Kid. "Tael, what can we do?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I-I'm really sorry Skull kid. I don't know." Said Tael. "I guess you were wrong. We're not getting out of this one alive."  
  
The bugs swarmed in, coming closer, closer, eager to eat the flesh of the imp foolish enough to challenge their master. As he had so many times before, Skull kid cleared his mind and listened to his instincts. He reached into his pack and pulled out a mask, putting away the Blast Mask since it wouldn't work on this many bugs. The mask he had pulled out was Odolwa's Mask, the mask Odolwa had been imprisoned in over a thousand years ago by Skull Kid's sisters, the Golden Goddesses, along with Majora and the three other demons that served him. The mask was supposed to be powerless, yet his instincts had told him to use it. And his instincts had never been wrong before. He put on the mask. Nothing happened. No transformation, no new power, nothing. It seemed to be just a normal mask. It looked like his instincts had failed him in the end. As the bugs approached, about to devour him, he screamed, "It can't end like this!" The bugs stopped. Skull Kid, Odolwa, Tael, and the  
prisoners were quite surprised. Skull Kid looked at the bugs for a moment, then said, "Roll over." The roaches rolled over. The moths somersaulted sideways. "Take one step forward." The bugs moved forward, then stopped. Skull Kid suddenly realized that this mask gave him the power to control insects!  
  
Odolwa realized this as well. "No! No! Attack him! Eat him!" The bugs didn't respond.  
  
Skull Kid pointed towards the demon. "Get him." He said. The bugs swarmed over a surprised Odolwa, who tried to stomp them or shake them off, but to no avail. As the bugs swarmed onto him, they dug their mandibles into the demon's flesh. Odolwa screamed. Skull Kid ran over to Odolwa, made a high jump, and stabbed his dagger right through Odolwa's heart. Odolwa shrieked and fell to the ground. The bugs swarmed off of him, going back to the cracks and holes they had come out of. All that was left of the demon were his bones. In a moment, they burned up, returning Odolwa's spirit to Hell. A portal opened up. Skull Kid ignored it for the moment and turned to the prisoners, who were awestruck by his victory.  
  
Finally, Saria spoke up. "That was incredible." She said.  
  
"Wow." Said Tael.  
  
"Yeah," said Patch at a loss for words. The Queen said nothing. Skull kid shot them down with his crossbow, then put the mask and said bow away. After a moment, the others recovered from their amazement.  
  
"I'm sorry for what I said earlier." Said the Queen. "Thank you for saving us."  
  
Skull kid shrugged. "It was nothing. Come on, I've got to get you two to the Chamber of Sages." He escorted the girls into the portal.  
  
In a flash, they were in the Chamber of Sages. Skull Kid was in the middle of the Triforce platform, while Saria, Patch, and the Queen were on the altered Forest platform. Rauru was on the Light platform, smiling and nodding approvingly. "Well done, well done!" said Rauru. "You are proving yourself as a hero, young imp. Now, I believe the ladies would like to reward you."  
  
Saria looked at Skull Kid. "It's surprising that I've met you again after all these years, my friend. You've still kept my song in your heart, and I'm proud of that. As a reward for saving the forest and my friends, I give you this Forest Medallion." She tossed Skull Kid a green medallion with a Triforce symbol on the back and four swirling blades on the front. Saria smiled. "If you see Mido, tell him I've decided on his proposal. The answer is yes."  
  
The Deku Queen looked at Skull Kid. "I am sorry I misjudged you. I thought an imp would not be strong enough to beat a demon, and I was wrong. You proved yourself most admirably back there. For saving my people and the rest of the forest, I give you this Jungle Medallion, as I am now Sage of the same." She tossed him a dark green medallion with the Deku Scrub emblem on it. "Oh, and when you see my beloved Deku, tell him it's time. I will wed him when this is over."  
  
Rauru cleared his throat. "You three will have to stay in the temple until this is over. You should both know how to summon the dragon, and will do it when Skull Kid gives the signal in a few weeks." He turned to Skull Kid and Tael. "Skull Kid, I will now tell you of the next temple's past and of it's dragon. Listen carefully."  
  
Well, so ends another chapter. Get ready for next time, when Rauru reveals info on the next temple and where Skull Kid has to go next. He had completed one-forth of the quest, will he be able to succeed the other parts? Find out next time! 


	4. I hate Stalchildren!

I am pi2. This you know.  
  
Disclaimer: I own no familiar characters. This you know.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Rauru began. "The next temple you will be going to is in the mountains. The Fire and Snowhead temples have combined. Death Mountain and Snowhead have merged as well, forming Death's Head Mountain."  
  
"Not a nice name." Muttered Skull Kid.  
  
Rauru continued. "The Snowhead Temple was built a thousand years ago by the ancestor of Darmani the Third."  
  
"So Darmani is the next Sage?" asked Tael.  
  
Rauru nodded. "The Temple was built to honor the god of the Terminan Gorons, the dragoness Serpentine. As for the Fire Temple and its dragon, well, that's a sad story." He frowned. "The temple was built a thousand years ago by Darunia's ancestor, Darmani. Keep in mind this is Darmani from Hyrule, not from Termina."  
  
"I got that." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Just making sure. Anyway, Darmani created the guardian of the temple, the dragon Volvagia, from the lava and rocks at the heart of Death Mountain."  
  
Skull Kid frowned. "Wait, I thought Volvagia was the dragon Link killed in that erased timeline."  
  
Rauru sighed. "That is the sad part of the story. Six hundred years ago, just before the poachers showed up, Volvagia was happy. He had a mate, a lovely red dragoness, and a whole nest of eggs. He had to leave on urgent business for a few days, and when he returned, he found his mate dead. All but one of his eggs was smashed. He went insane when he discovered that all his fellow dragons had been killed, both guardian and normal, except for Aeolus. He hunted down the poachers himself, leaving a trail of death and destruction behind him. He killed the poachers and returned to Death Mountain. But you must remember that he was quite crazy by now. His proud, dragon form lost cohesion and he became more like a serpent. He burrowed into Goron City and launched an attack that killed half of the population before returning to his lair in the Fire Temple. The Gorons turned to their leader, Darunia the First, Big Brother and Hero of the Gorons, not to mention the current Sage of Fire.  
It was his duty to slay the guardian dragon. He went to the Goron forges and had them make the strongest hammer they could possibly forge. That hammer was the Megaton Hammer. Darunia went to the Fire Temple, ready to battle the dragon." Rauru paused. "Here is another reason why this part is sad. You see, since Darunia was Sage of Fire and Volvagia was temple guardian, they were actually best of friends. But now that the dragon had gone berserk, Darunia would have to kill his best friend. In an awesome battle, Darunia defeated Volvagia, smashing his head in with the Megaton Hammer. Volvagia is still dead. Now, the reason Link killed Volvagia in the erased timeline is that Ganondorf had partially resurrected the dragon, binding it to his will. But now that that future was erased, the dragon has stayed dead. But he will need to be reborn if the demon is to be banished back to Hell. You have heard the story, Skull Kid. Are you ready to save the Sages of Fire and Ice?"  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "Of course I'll do it. It's my job, isn't it?"  
  
Rauru smiled. "It is. Now, to get to Death's Head, you must leave the forest and head north to Kakariko Village. Just keep heading in the direction of the big flat-topped mountain with a big, swirling red cloud of energy over it." He raised his hands.  
  
There was a flash of light, and Skull Kid was back in Forestfall, outside the temple. He was pleased to see that the water was back to normal. He turned to his partner. "Hey Tael, want to go for a swim?"  
  
"Sure." Said Tael.  
  
"Then follow me!" Skull Kid jumped off the altar, diving into the water, he swam for the exit to Forestfall.  
  
"Wait up!" yelled Tael, flying after Skull Kid. Skull Kid reached the exit, pulled himself up, and climbed down the ladder leading to the outside. Once there, he jumped off the ledge, diving into the water once more. He came out on the bank and shook himself off.  
  
"Ah, that felt good!" he said.  
  
Tael caught up with him. "Skull Kid, you scared me half to death! Twice! Please don't do anymore stunts like that."  
  
Skull Kid grinned up at his fairy. "I can't promise I will, but thanks for being considerate."  
  
Tael sighed and flew onto Skull Kid's hat. "Sorry, I just got a little worried. By the way, that was really cool how you stopped Odolwa by sending his own bugs at him! I had no idea his mask could do that."  
  
Skull Kid frowned. "Neither did I, Tael. Neither did I." They said nothing as they worked their way back to the village. They passed several Snappers, but instead of attacking, they stared at them dopily. They got lost a few times, but finally reached the village after sundown. There was a celebration under way. The water was no longer poisonous, showing that the forest was back to normal. From his vantage point at the Lost Woods tunnel, Skull Kid could see that the Stalfos and the other forest monsters had made up with the Kokiri and the Scrubs, and were about to start a party. Skull Kid smiled and lay down on the grass.  
  
Tael flew over his head. "Skull Kid, aren't we going to the party?"  
  
Skull Kid shook his head. "No, Tael, I think we should get a good, long rest. That was a tough battle. We'll need all the strength we can get for tomorrow.  
  
"But it's only seven o' clock." Skull Kid shrugged. "What about the messages we were supposed to give to Mido and Deku?"  
  
"Tael, I'm sorry, but I'm really tired. If you can wait, we'll tell them tomorrow morning. If not, tell them yourself. I'm going to sleep now." He rolled over and started snoring.  
  
Tael sighed. "How do you do that? You always seem to fall asleep at will, while it takes me hours." He decided to deliver the messages now, so flew down to the village. The party was almost ready to begin.  
  
Tael asked around for Mido. Everyone thought Tael was just another guardian fairy running an errand, and directed Tael to Mido's house, which he was still sharing with the two Deku sisters. Tael found Mido in his kitchen with his guardian fairy, Naro. They were putting the finishing touches on a big cake. They looked busy, but Tael knew he had to deliver the message. Tael cleared his throat. Mido looked up. "Yes, what is it?" he asked.  
  
"Mido, I have a message for you from Saria."  
  
That got his attention. "What is it?" he asked.  
  
"She has considered your proposal, and the answer is yes."  
  
Mido stared at Tael in shock, before fainting. "Yay! I can date Patch now!" said Naro. "Mido, Saria's finally going to be your girlfriend! Isn't that...Mido? Mido?"  
  
Tael had already left to deliver the message to Deku, whom he found near the Palace Gate. "Hey, Deku, I need to talk to you!" said Tael.  
  
Deku noticed him. "Oh, you're that fairy that was with that Skull Kid, aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I have a message for you from the Queen."  
  
That got his attention. "What did she say?"  
  
"She wanted to tell you that once Majora is gone, she'll marry you."  
  
He sighed in relief. "Oh, I was worried that she was breaking our engagement or something! Thank you. Now, I have to get back to work. The party's starting in a few minutes."  
  
"Goodbye." Said Tael. He flew back to Skull Kid, who was still asleep. He sighed and flew into his hat. He tried, and failed, to go to sleep immediately. He could hear the sounds of the party just outside. He sighed and moved deeper into Skull Kid's hat. He still had trouble sleeping. He wished Tatl were here. Back before they became the heirs of Mesmoria, whenever he had trouble sleeping, she was there to help him go to sleep. She sang him his favorite lullaby, just like mom used to. He felt like crying at the memories of the old days, so he tried to blot out all external sounds and his own thoughts. After an hour, he finally fell asleep.  
  
Skull Kid was in a funnel of swirling colors, yellow, green, red, blue, orange, and purple. He could see the stars outside the funnel. He looked down, and saw the ground quickly receding from him. He looked up and screamed. He was being sucked into the mouth of the moon. He screamed again as he reached the mouth, and was surrounded by darkness. He could see nothing, hear nothing. He was cold, very cold. Colder, even, then he had been on the night he had first met Tael and Tatl. Suddenly, he could see their lights up ahead of him. The two fairies flew towards him, coming to give him warmth. He opened his arms to accept them, ready to heat up. Then, a massive hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed the fairies, pulling them away from Skull Kid. He could hear laughter. The darkness vanished, and Skull Kid was standing on a bridge. The bridge went over a huge pit of lava. Skull Kid looked behind him and saw nothing. He looked ahead of him and saw Majora. The demon laughed  
and opened his right hand, revealing Navi, Tael and Tatl. He opened his left, revealing Link and Zelda. They were all dead. To the demo's left, he saw Ganondorf, grinning, his long cape billowing behind him. Just behind Majora were two figures, his brothers, Zartanis and Somosa. Even further behind was a figure that could be none other than Skull Kid's uncle, Satan. Even though Majora was taller then his father, Skull Kid could somehow see him towering above Majora anyway. The demon stomped the ground, cackling. The bridge beneath Skull Kid crumbled to pieces, and he fell into the lava. The villains laughed as he fell. Just as he hit the lava, there was a flash, and he was in the Chamber of the Crystals. His sister, Din, was hovering over him. "Din, what's going on?" asked Skull Kid. "Is this all a dream?"  
  
"In a way, it is. It is a premonition, like the kind that Link gets sometimes, or the ones that Mom has all the time. This is more of an informative dream, to tell you something that will help you on your quest. Listen carefully. When battling Majora, you must remember something very important. Remember what I told you to find your inner magic. Focus on something that makes you happy, not something that makes you sad or angry. Then focus on your heart. That is the key."  
  
"The key to what?"  
  
"When the time comes, you will know. Now Skull Kid, I must bid you adieu once more. It is time for you to wake up. You must go to Kakariko Village, for it is on the way to Death's Head."  
  
"Can't I use the shortcut in the Lost Woods?"  
  
"It no longer exists. Goodbye, little brother. I love you..."  
  
Skull Kid woke up with a start, knocking his hat off. Tael flew out of it, dazed from his rude awakening. "Wha? Huh? Mommy, just ten more minutes..." he was woken up as Skull Kid grabbed Tael. "Aah! Skull Kid, what is it? It's only seven o' clock in the morning! The sun's barely up!"  
  
"I know, but something tells me we have to get to Kakariko as soon as possible. It'll take us a day, possibly more, to walk there. The shortcut's been closed, so we have to leave now."  
  
"What about breakfast?"  
  
"No time for that! We can eat when we reach Kakariko."  
  
"But I haven't had anything to eat since yesterday morning. Couldn't we just wait until everyone wakes up and ask for some food?"  
  
"I'm sorry Tael, but we really must leave now. Maybe we'll find something on the way." Tael moaned, but fluttered onto Skull Kid's hat. They walked down the slope and headed for the forest exit, walking quietly so as not to disturb anyone. From the mess in the village and the toilet paper festooned over the palace, it was obvious that it had been a big party. They walked across a bridge over water to the tunnel to the field, and found themselves in Hymina Field. It wasn't a welcome sight. It was actually very desolate. The grass was brown and dead. The trees were leafless and gray. Guays circled overhead. Skull Kid angrily looked up at the grinning moon. "This is all your fault." He whispered. He grunted. "Come on Tael, we have to find Death's Head mountain. Rauru said to head north in the direction of the big mountain with the red, swirling cloud of energy over it." He looked north. "Oh, there it is. Let's go." They headed north. It was a long way away. The scenery didn't  
get any better. They kept on going. Things weren't improving. Tael's tiny stomach was starting to rumble. There was no food, so nothing could be done. Skull Kid was getting a little hungry too, but he ignored his urges. They kept on hiking across the vast field. They didn't seem to be going anywhere. The field looked like it had no end. But they kept on going. Hey were not attacked at all, which was quite surprising. The field was supposed to be full of monsters. How odd. The Guays kept circling them, hoping they were fresh prey. Skull Kid got an idea. "Hey Tael, can you eat meat?"  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
Skull Kid pulled out his crossbow and aimed at one of the Guays. "I've just found us lunch." He let loose an arrow, hitting the Guay. It screeched and fell to the ground, landing with a sickening thud. Skull Kid ran over to the dead Guay. Fortunately, it was still intact.  
  
Tael stopped Skull Kid. "We can't eat this raw, can we?"  
  
"I was kind of planning to roast it over an open flame."  
  
"Oh. Sorry then." Skull Kid picked up the dead bird and looked for some firewood. There was so much deadwood lying around, it was easy. Thanks to a little flint, Skull Kid was able to start a fire. He used some more sticks to fashion a spit for the bird. It took a while to pluck the feathers off, but soon the dead bird was being roasted. After it was ready, they eagerly dug in.  
  
"Mmm. Tastes like cucco." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Mmph. Great idea Skull Kid." They continued to eat. Finally, their bellies were full and the Guay was gone. They realized they had spent an hour and a half on lunch, so had to pick up the pace. Even so, nightfall soon fell and they were still no nearer to Kakariko. Even though it was dark, they kept going. Skull Kid figured they could just find a place to sleep when they were too tired to go any further. Suddenly, Tael jingled in alarm. "Skull Kid, there's something behind us!"  
  
Skull Kid turned around and wished he hadn't. There was a huge horde of Stalchildren, eagerly looking on Skull Kid as ripe prey. There were far too many to fight. "Holy Mom, that's a lot of Stalchildren!" The Stalchildren started forward. Tael and Skull Kid screamed and ran, still heading north. The Stalchildren eagerly gave chase. As they ran, more Stalchildren came out of the ground to add to the pursuit. It seemed like they were running for hours. They were. They had been able to run for so long thanks to the miracle of adrenaline. But eventually, their adrenaline wore out. They were slowing down. The Stalchildren, sensing the tiring of their prey, moved faster. Finally, Skull Kid tripped on a rock and fell. He moaned, but couldn't pull himself up. The Stalchildren were about to reach him, when suddenly...the rooster crowed. The sun came up. The Stalchildren screeched and burrowed back into the earth. Skull Kid groaned, looking up at the sun. "Thank...Mom..." he fell  
asleep from sheer exhaustion. Tael joined him.  
  
An hour later, Skull Kid was woken up by something pecking at his head. He woke up to find a flock of Guay, who seemed to think he was dead, surrounded him. He got up, shaking the birds off. They flew away, squawking. Tael was still snoozing inside his hat. Skull Kid decided not to disturb him. He was still very tired, but didn't want to get eaten by Guay in his sleep. He looked back and saw that the Stalchild attack had made up a lot of distance. They were miles from where they had been when the sun had set. Skull Kid yawned and kept heading north, careful not to disturb Tael. Tael woke up sometime after noon, feeling a bit more rested. Skull Kid wished he could say the same. They kept going, but as the sun set, they still hadn't reached Kakariko Village. The Stalchildren came out of the ground as the sun set. When Skull Kid saw the first Stalchild, he knew he was in trouble. He burst into a sprint, trying to stay away from the Stalchildren. They sensed prey as they woke  
up, but Skull Kid was running to fast for them to see him until he was several meters past them. Skull Kid was running on sheer adrenaline boost once more. His adrenaline ran out quicker than it had the night before, though. He hadn't had any sleep. Despite this, he managed to keep up his strength and continue running from the skeletons. It never occurred to him or Tael to try on the Captain's Hat. It didn't matter, though. After another unbelievable six hours of running, the sun rose and the Stalchildren went back to sleep. Skull Kid fell to his knees, panting.  
  
"Skull Kid, are you all right?" asked Tael.  
  
"I'm...fine...Tael. I...just...need...a...rest...before...we...go...on..." he wheezed. When he recovered, he staggered to his feet. "Come on, Tael. We have to keep heading north."  
  
"Skull Kid, are you sure you're okay?" asked Tael concerned. "You seem really tired."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous." Said Skull Kid. "I'm fine." He lied. They continued. Eventually, Tael went into Skull Kid's hat to get some sleep. Skull Kid chuckled to himself, before stopping because it took too much energy to chuckle. He kept on going, stumbling at times, nearly falling over. He was so tired. He could go without food for months without suffering from any adverse effects, but sleep was completely indispensable. Tael needed both though. Even though fairies were immortal, they needed their daily allotment of food and sleep just like all other mortals. Skull Kid was different because he had been born from the heavens. All the other imps were also immortal, but different as well, since they were really cursed people in most cases. Skull Kid couldn't remember ever seeing an imp who had never been human at one time or another. He staggered, trying to keep from falling asleep on his feet. Somehow, he managed to focus all his energy on moving one foot in front of the  
other. He was so tired, he often didn't quite see where he was going. He tripped on several rocks and ran into trees more than once. The only reason he didn't lose track of which way to go was because he was following his instincts, as always. Despite his current state, the directions from his instincts kept coming in crystal clear. He could sense he was quite close to Kakariko, but not there just yet.  
  
Hours passed, and Tael woke up, hungrier than ever. He was about to ask Skull Kid to shoot down a Guay for lunch, until he noticed Skull Kid's condition. He felt guilty, for he had gone to sleep while his best friend hadn't gotten any rest at all. He decided to say nothing, and merely fly alongside Skull Kid. Inevitably, night fell. The Stalchildren started popping up. Skull Kid's adrenaline tried to kick in and he began to run. Unfortunately, his adrenaline level was very weak from lack of rest. His run was barely faster than that of the Stalchildren. Fortunately, it was fast enough to keep ahead of them. Suddenly, Tael noticed something. "Skull Kid! Look!"  
  
"Wha?"  
  
"There's a bridge going over a stream, and across from that are stairs! If we cross the bridge, we'll be safe, since undead can't cross running water!" Tael was right about the stream and the steps. The steps led into the foothills of Death's Head, where Kakariko lay. If they could just make another eighth of a mile, they'd be safe. Of course, there were still Stalchildren on the other side of the stream, but not as many. Skull Kid ran across the bridge. And stood at the other end, sure they couldn't cross. That's when the Stalchildren easily started to walk over the bridge. Skull Kid shot an angry look at Tael. "Okay, so I was wrong..." said Tael weakly.  
  
There was no time for that. The Stalchildren were crossing the bridge, and more were popping out of the ground. Skull Kid made a run for the stairs. Just before he reached the steps, a Stalchild scratched him on the back with its sharp claws, making Skull Kid fall flat on his face on the stairs. He lay there, awaiting the bloody death the Stalchildren would surely inflict on him. And waited. And waited. Finally, struggling to keep his eyes open, he got up. "Tael, why aren't they killing me?"  
  
"Skull Kid, you'll have to see for yourself. This is unbelievable."  
  
Skull Kid turned around and saw the horde of Stalchildren just standing there, looking angry. Inches in front of Skull Kid, at the base of the stairs, a wall of purple fire had risen, and they couldn't cross it. Skull Kid wearily grinned. "Hah! In your face, bone breath!" he made faces and even mooned them. Grumbling, the Stalchildren walked away. Skull Kid turned to Tael. "What is that flame?"  
  
"I have no idea, but it means we're safe! Come on, I bet Kakariko Village is right up these stairs." Tael led the way. Skull Kid started walking up the stairs. There were a lot of them. He climbed the stairs, his strength slowly ebbing away. He needed rest, but had to reach the village first. After fifteen minutes, he reached the top of the stairs. At the gate to Kakariko Village was a soldier. He stood up in surprise as Skull kid approached, staggering.  
  
What the? A monster? I thought the mayor's force field kept them out...he thought for a moment. If the force field were down, then Stalchildren would be swarming the village. That means it must be a traveler! He walked over to Skull Kid. "Do you need any help, sir? You don't look too good."  
  
Skull Kid looked up. The guard gasped, not at Skull Kid's beak or scarecrow-like head, but at how bad he looked. His beady eyes were bloodshot, his arms limp, his clothes torn and dirtied from tripping on rocks. Skull kid managed to rasp out, "Who...are...you?"  
  
The guard recovered his composure. "I am the clock soldier of Kakariko Village. I tell time and guard the gate, even though it's pretty much unnecessary."  
  
"This...is...Kakariko...Village...?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Yes, this is Kakariko Village, the gateway to Death's Head Mountain and home of Mayor Impa, Sage of Shadow."  
  
Skull Kid collapsed, wheezing. "Thank...mom..." he gasped, before bursting into a fit of hacking and coughing. Skull kid didn't understand. He had been tired before, but now he felt worse, like he was sick or something.  
  
"Sir, are you all right? You really don't look too good."  
  
Skull Kid looked desperately up at the guard. "Help...me..." He fainted.  
  
He woke up much later to find himself in a nice, cozy bed. He looked around. The bed he was on was lying on an upper loft, overlooking a room. It was the interior of a house, with large bookshelves lining the walls. A ladder led up to somewhere above the ceiling, an attic perhaps? Skull Kid got out of bed. He was immediately run into by Tael. "Skull kid, you're all right! I was really worried."  
  
"Tael, what happened? How long have I been out?"  
  
"That Stalchild that scratched you injected you with a fast-acting poison. You would have died if the guard hadn't rushed us over to Mayor Impa. Even after she healed you, you were still feverish, so she's allowed us use of her house until you recovered. You've been out for two days."  
  
Skull Kid was horrified. Two days? That could ruin his schedule! He might not make the deadline in time. He had already used up his first week. He only had four more before the solar equinox occurred. He needed to get moving, and fast! "Tael, where's the food?"  
  
"In the icebox. Are you sure you're up to eating?"  
  
Skull Kid rushed down the stairs and over to Impa's icebox, where he grabbed several foodstuffs, ran over to the table, and wolfed it down. "Tael, we only have four weeks left until the end of the world as we know it. We can't afford to waste time, unless we have too much surplus." He finished eating. "Now, off to Death's Head Mountain! We can thank that Impa person on our way back." He headed for the door and opened it. He screamed.  
  
Tael flew up. "Skull Kid, what's wrong? Oh, it's just you. Hi, Dampe`!"  
  
Skull Kid had screamed because of Dampe`, who was floating outside the door. "Hi Tael. You must be Skull Kid, right?"  
  
Skull kid recovered. "Uh, yeah. I'm Skull Kid."  
  
Dampe` beckoned. "My boss wishes to see you. Please follow me." He started floating away.  
  
"Tael, who is this guy?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"He's the town's former gravekeeper. He's now the Mayor's attendant. He's pretty nice after you get over the initial shock of his being dead." They followed the ghost outside.  
  
Skull Kid got his first look at Kakariko Village. It was a small, quaint town. The addition of the Smithy and the Astral Observatory (which was at the top of Impa's house, where the ladder Skull Kid had noticed went to) hadn't really changed the townspeople's daily routine. Everyone was walking about, doing his or her own business. Nobody seemed to notice or care about the Poes floating around. Skull Kid decided that this town didn't have a problem with undead walking the streets. Skull Kid could see Death's Head Mountain towering over the village. As they walked down the steps from Impa's house, Professor Shigashi burst out of the front door of his Observatory, ran up to the railing of his balcony, and yelled, "Incoming!"  
  
Instead of taking shelter, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up towards the grinning moon. Skull kid could see flaming objects descending from around the moon's eyes. "What's going on, Dampe`? I was inside tending to Skull Kid whenever that Observatory guy said something was incoming." said Tael.  
  
Dampe` grinned. "Every day at around this time the demon bombards the village with Moon's Tears."  
  
"Shouldn't we be hiding then?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Kid, Majora took over two weeks ago. Aren't you wondering why we're the only town to get bombarded, and yet there is no damage to a single building? Just sit back and watch the show." Skull Kid looked upwards along with the other people in town. The Moon's Tears were hurtling towards them. Suddenly, fifty meters above the ground, the meteors hit a purple barrier that stopped their descent. The missiles exploded in a display of brilliant pyrotechnics, which everyone admired before getting back to work.  
  
Skull Kid and Tael looked at Dampe`. "That's just like the barrier that stopped the Stalchildren from attacking me!" said Skull Kid.  
  
"It is the same barrier, kid. The honorable Mayor Impa, my boss and Sage of Shadow generates it, from her temple. As long as she is in the temple, the force field will keep out everything evil, be it Stalchildren, meteors, or Majora himself! Of course, I doubt it'll do a thing about the demon's old man, but Impa claims that you two are the ones that will save us all. I didn't really believe her. Then again, I didn't really believe that ghosts could come out in broad daylight either, but Impa proved me wrong on that. Now, we really must go." He floated towards the graveyard. Skull Kid and Tael followed. They reached the graveyard after a fairly short walk. As Skull kid passed through the gates, a bunch of Redeads erupted from the ground, moaning. Skull Kid gasped. Dampe` floated in front to address the lead Redead. "It's okay, Bill, the boss wants to see them." The Redeads groaned and sank back into the earth. Dampe` led the way to the back of the cemetery, where a ladder ran  
up to a ledge. Dampe` floated up, beckoning. Skull Kid climbed up the ladder. On the ledge was a hexagonal platform with a Triforce symbol. On the back of the ledge was a downward tunnel with a staircase. Dampe` disappeared, telling them one last thing before he vanished. "Just go inside and look for Impa. She's around somewhere." He vanished.  
  
"I thought he was supposed to take us to Impa, not dump us here to find her ourselves." Grumbled Skull Kid. They went down the stairs and entered a large room with a complicated chalk drawing on the floor. Lit braziers surrounded the circle. A huge, open door in the back of the room beckoned. "Is this the right way? It looks pretty creepy..." said Skull Kid.  
  
"I think this is the Shadow Temple. Didn't Link say he saved Impa from one of Ganondorf's minions here or something?"  
  
"Yeah, I thought the name sounded familiar. Well, let's go." He went into the dark and foreboding passage, and was surprised at the temple interior. Instead of being dark and foreboding, the place seemed bright and cheerful. There were lots of torches on the walls, glowing magical orbs on the ceiling, and the walls themselves had been painted with colorful murals depicting scenes from the past. Skull Kid followed the corridor, which turned to the right. He walked over what had once been a chasm, and through where an illusion had used to be. He entered a large room with an open mouth at one end, its tongue lolling out like a large platform. It rested on a filled-in chasm. In front of the filled in chasm was a ring of poles surround a fearsome-looking bird statue with statuary on them. Skull Kid walked through the large mouth and into another corridor. Skull Kid wasn't scared anymore. Neither was Tael. The place was a lot nicer than Link had described it as. They walked  
further down the corridor and found themselves in a tall room with three possible corridors to follow. One went right, one went forward and down, and one went left. Skull Kid went left on a hunch.  
  
As they walked through, Tael and Skull kid kept admiring the artwork. As they reached a door at the end of a corridor, Tael stopped Skull Kid, flying to an image of a proud man with a crown on one of the murals. "I think I've heard of this guy. He's King Harkinian, the man who allowed the Sheikah to become the bodyguards of the Royal Family."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I read about him in the library back home. The telescopes in the observatories do more than just look at stars, you know. It allows fairies to see and hear what's on the outside world. It's why fairy historians were also astronomers, and why Mesmoria's history section is so big." He turned back to Skull Kid. "Sorry, I just wanted to point it out."  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. It's okay. We can admire the paintings all we want, but remember we have a strict deadline to maintain." They went through the door and found themselves in a square room with many low walls. There was a clear, circular space in the middle with nothing in it except a large post for something that must have pivoted there. There were several alcoves, but one of them went deeper than the others. Skull Kid walked into it, and found a ladder going down. He climbed down the ladder and found himself in a caged-in platform in a massive room. Another short ladder in the floor allowed him to enter the room. There was a channel filled with water, and a ferryboat that floated in it. Skull Kid climbed up a block and onto a ledge to hop on the ferry. They looked over it, seeing no obvious way to start it.  
  
"Where's the captain?" asked Tael.  
  
"Right here." Said a voice behind them. They turned around to see a Stalfos at the ship's wheel. Skull kid pulled out his knife. "Hey, relax! I'm just this boat's captain. I ferry people down the channel. Do you want to go to the other end?" Skull Kid paused then nodded. "Great, Lets start the old girl up, then." The bells hanging from the front of the boat started ringing. The boat began to move down the channel. After a long cruise down a wide passage lined with even more beautiful murals, they reached the other end and hopped off. They waved goodbye to the captain as he sailed back to the other end of the channel. They now had two options. They could go through the door on the right, or go through the door at the other end of the large room, between the two giant bird statues, across the filled-in chasm. They chose the door between the statues and found themselves in another room with a filled-in chasm. There several platforms, but they opted to use the stairs to get to  
the high door. In the next room, things weren't as nicely decorated. In fact, the room was pretty creepy. There were piles of skulls in the corners and the walls looked like they were made out of lots of skulls. There was a hole in the floor. Voices could be heard at the bottom.  
  
"Should we jump in?" asked Tael.  
  
"Do you even need to ask?"  
  
He jumped into the hole. Tael flew after him. At the bottom of the long drop, they landed on a big bongo drum. The room was tall and wide. The area around the drum looked like it had recently been drained of liquid. Just in front of them was a tall, imposing woman in body armor. She had short gray hair, paint on her face, and red eyes. She was directing several undead monsters around the room. On the floor, Gibdos and Floormasters were mopping up the last of a strange green liquid, which wasn't easy since it ate through their mops. On the walls, Wallmasters held scaffolding for Redeads and Stalfos, who sat on the scaffolding applying paint to the walls. They weren't done, but Skull kid was able to pick out certain familiar features. After a moment, he realized the paintings were of Impa and the fellow Sages, including Zelda, Link, Navi, and Saria's fairy, Patch. There were five walls that seemed intentionally blank. Impa turned around as she noticed their appearance. She  
gave a last call to her workers before talking to the imp. "Okay Leo, remember to ease up on the green paint for Saria. We don't want to have a repeat of yesterday's fiasco, now do we?" The Redead she was referring to shuddered at the memory and applied the paint a little more carefully. She gave her attention to Skull Kid. "Now, you are the imp who is destined to battle Majora for the fate of the world, correct?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Said Skull kid.  
  
Impa smiled. "Don't be formal. Just call me Impa."  
  
"Okay. Impa, I would like to thank you for healing me from the Stalchild's poison and for letting me use your house."  
  
"You're quite welcome. Now, you are probably wondering why I called you here."  
  
"Yes, we were." Said Tael.  
  
"Well, I wanted to meet you in person. When you weren't unconscious, that is." Skull Kid blushed. "I also wanted to give you a Shadow Medallion."  
  
"Oh, you don't need to. Rauru already gave me one. See?" said Skull Kid, pulling the Medallion from his pack.  
  
Impa frowned. "Rauru gave it to you? He's not authorized to do that! Oh well." She sighed.  
  
Skull Kid decided to change the subject. "So, what's going on here? I thought the Shadow Temple was full of monsters and booby traps and chasms and stuff."  
  
Impa scowled. "It was. My ancestor, the Sheikah chieftain Pompilio, built this temple a thousand years ago. He wasn't quite healthy in the mental sense. He also created the guardian of this temple, the dragoness Nox, from shadows in the graveyard. The temple itself was built from the blood and bones of Hyrule's evil dead."  
  
Skull Kid grimaced. "This Pompilio must have been really nuts."  
  
"He was. None of the Shadow Sages after him wanted to live in the temple because of all the zombies and other undead monsters that sprang up from the corpses used to build this place, not to mention the gloom, the chasms, and the traps. The dragon was killed by poachers six hundred years ago, but you already knew that." She paused. "As for what's happening now, I did what no other Shadow Sage had done before. I decided to redecorate the temple. I hired a bunch of carpenters to fill in the chasms, brighten up the place, and disarm the booby traps. They did the job in one week."  
  
"How come this village isn't consumed by evil?" asked Tael.  
  
"When I saw the moon's new face, I decided I should get to the temple. Since Rauru and my temples are the only ones that do not have new Sages (well, except for the Temple of Time, but it did merge with a clock tower), as long as we remain in our temples, our domains are completely safe. Unfortunately, that meant I would have to say in this dreary old place. It's a good thing those carpenters are so fast! I might have gone as nuts as Pompilio if I had to live here."  
  
"Well, that explains a lot. But I still have a few questions." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"What?" asked Impa.  
  
"First of all, are you really the last of your species?"  
  
Impa smiled. "Yes and no. I am indeed the last Sheikah...in Hyrule. There are plenty of tribes wandering around across the world."  
  
"Okay. Second of all, who did all the paintings?"  
  
"You may not believe this, but the undead did it all."  
  
"Really?" said Tael. "I would have thought they had no artistic talent at all, or that anything they did would involve pictures of death and despair."  
  
Impa nodded. "Most people would think that, wouldn't they? But they were human once. They still retain most of their old personality. They have seen quite a lot. New corpses come in every year since the graveyard is pretty much filled up, undead to join the ranks. I quickly reform them if they're evil and put them to work guarding the village. After the initial shock, the smell isn't really that bad. They have been able to paint fabulous murals of events they witnessed in life, like when Harkinian allowed the Sheikah to be bodyguards to the Royal Family, or when Pompilio first came to Hyrule. The results are quite good, aren't they?"  
  
"Yeah, but why isn't the upper part of this room fixed up?" asked Tael.  
  
"I decided to let just one room remain unchanged. For Pompilio's sake."  
  
"So what are your minions painting now?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Since this chamber is big enough, I decided to make it a tribute to those I consider the most important. As you might be able to see, the Sages are being painted, including myself of course. I am also painting Zelda, Link, and his fairy. Saria's fairy too."  
  
"Why are there five blank spaces?" asked Tael.  
  
"They are reserved for the new Sages. I haven't met them in person yet, so I have no available pictures to reference from."  
  
"But there are only four new Sages. Why is there still one empty panel?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Impa paused. "I have someone...special in mind for that wall."  
  
"Oh, a boyfriend?"  
  
Impa looked flustered. "Wha...no, not a boyfriend! By special, I meant...never mind."  
  
"Ah, come on, tell us!" begged Tael.  
  
"Well...all right. It's for you Skull Kid."  
  
"ME?" he asked, surprised.  
  
"Yes. You are destined to fight Majora, are you not? That makes you important enough to be painted on a wall."  
  
Skull Kid was flattered. But he was unsure about something. "Impa, I don't quite understand destiny. You probably know a lot, don't you?"  
  
"Well, I know a bit. Why?"  
  
"I don't quite understand destiny. Does it mean something will happen, or something may happen? Is a person master of his or her own fate, or is everything predetermined? Do we have any free choice at all?'  
  
Impa pondered that for a moment. "That is actually a good question, Skull Kid. I think I can answer it for you. It's a little of both. A person may choose to do as he or she wishes, but may be destined for something different. That doesn't actually mean they will choose to fulfill their destiny, or even succeed at it. Many never find their true purpose for being. But most settle into their destinies by chance, by decisions that they make that work in strange ways. A person may search all his life for his destiny, but never find it, when the truth was that he was already living his destiny."  
  
"I don't quite understand." Said Tael. Skull Kid looked a bit perplexed as well.  
  
"Here's an example. You are destined to fight Majora, the only one who can defeat him. That does not mean you will defeat him, just that you can. Destiny is quite malleable, like water, but can be firm, like ice. Destiny states that you may fight the demon, but does not say you actually will. You could die on the way and never truly fulfill your purpose. That means the outcome of this current dilemma is uncertain, as is pretty much the entire future. Even premonitions of the future can be incorrect on slight occasions. Do you understand now?"  
  
"I guess." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Good. Now, are there any more questions? I have to get back to supervision."  
  
"Only one more question. This one is most important of all."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"How do we get out of here?" asked Skull Kid pleadingly.  
  
Impa actually laughed. I'll get you transportation. GRABRAHAM! Grabraham, get down here now!" she called. A Wallmaster descended from the ceiling. "Grabraham, can you please take this imp back to the temple entrance?" The hand tapped the ground once, meaning yes. "Good. Before you take him, one more thing." She turned to Skull Kid. "If you wish to scale the mountain, I must warn you that my force field does not extend beyond this village. There are no Stalchildren on the mountain, but you do not want to travel at night. Set up camp after sundown. Trust me on this. You should also stock up on supplies before you leave. Grabraham, you may take him now." Grabraham floated in the air, grabbed Skull Kid by the back of his shirt, and started for the ceiling. As they left, Impa turned around and moaned at the mess her unsupervised artists had made. "Oh no! Mike, Darunia is supposed to have tattoos under his eyes, not on his nose! Leo, I told you to be careful with the green! Donny,  
I told you a million times that my...support isn't that big! And Raphael, Nabooru will kill you again if she sees how fat you made her hips look! Oh, this is going to set us back by days!"  
  
Grabraham dropped Skull Kid and Tael in the entryway to the temple before floating away. They left the Graveyard and headed back to town. "That was an interesting encounter." Said Tael.  
  
"Yeah, and I think I understand what I'm doing a little better. Come on, we have to get some supplies and start climbing the mountain." They went to all the stores they thought would help and bought lots of supplies. Since the Kokiri pack had a relatively infinite amount of space and caused no weight or damage time-wise or physically to the items it carried, they could easily carry a ton of food without any spoilage. After causing several storekeepers to faint with the amount of rupees they were leaving, Skull kid finally just left the money in the cash register and left the change, since there was no way any of the storekeepers could ever pay them back that much money. Eventually, they had all the supplies they needed: a tent, a sleeping bag, lots of food, and climbing gear. They climbed the stairs to the gate leading to the Mountain Trail and found it closed. The guard refused to let them through. "But why can't we go through?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Do you have permission from the Royal Family?" asked the guard sternly.  
  
"WHAT Royal Family? The King is abroad on a tour of ally nations, the Princess is in the clutches of a demon, and the Queen has been dead for fifteen years. The only Royal Family around these days is Ganondorf and Majora! There is no royal family!" said Tael angrily.  
  
The guard shrugged. "Rules are rules."  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "Who pays your salary, Impa or the King?"  
  
"The King."  
  
"What would it take to get you to let us through?"  
  
"Permission from the Royal Family."  
  
"No, specifically. What counts as permission?"  
  
"Any document with a signature from a member of the Royal Family on it."  
  
"Just a sec." Skull Kid pulled off his pack and rummaged through it, finally finding what he was looking for. "Ah hah! This should validate us." Skull Kid handed the peace treaty he had signed with Zelda the day the demon had taken over to the soldier.  
  
The guard looked it over. "Hmmm...this is Princess Zelda's signature, but it's a peace treaty and does not count as permission to go up the mountain."  
  
"But all the shops in town have mountain gear, which means lots of people are able to go climbing! Unless..." Skull Kid looked carefully at the soldier. "Could you please tell me what time it is?"  
  
"Why sure! It's eleven o' clock in the morning."  
  
"Just as I thought! You don't really guard this gate at all! You're the clock soldier from the village entrance!"  
  
The clock soldier sighed. "All right, you got me. I was just trying to get you to bribe me for extra cash. I haven't gotten a paycheck since the demon took over."  
  
"We should report you to Impa, right Skull Kid?" said Tael.  
  
"I have a better idea," said Skull Kid, fishing into his wallet. "Will this be enough?" he asked, handing over a black rupee.  
  
The guard's jaw dropped. "Th-th-th-that'll b-b-b-b-be enough." He opened the gate and walked away. Skull Kid and Tael walked through, beginning the climb up Death's Head Mountain.  
  
And so ends another chapter. Will our heroes manage to survive whatever dangers lie atop Death's Head Mountain? Find out next time! 


	5. There's a reason it used to be called DE...

Once again, it's me. Time to see what's on Death's Head Mountain, huh?  
  
Disclaimer: Yak yak yak yak yak.  
  
Chapter 5  
  
At first, the trail was normal, merely sloping uphill. But it got steeper. And steeper. And steeper. Until finally it was just a very steep slope leading to a small patch of flat land in front of a sheer, mile-high vertical wall. Struggling, almost slipping a few times, Skull Kid made it to the patch of flat land, then stared in disgust at the cliff facing them. There were no trees for his hookshot to grapple onto. No handholds for him to climb up. It was a sheer vertical cliff. He had brought climbing tools, like a rappel and cable, but he had nowhere to place the hooks. He sat down, trying to figure out a way to solve his problem. Finally, he thought of something. He changed his boots to the grooved ones he had bought, and pulled out one his hooks and the hammer for driving it in. He hammered the hook to the wall, then cursed himself, realizing this equipment was useless without at least two people climbing. Angrily, he threw the climbing gear down the slope, except for  
the boots, which could be useful. He sat down again, trying to figure out a way to get through this obstacle. Tael had no ideas. Skull Kid sighed. "Damn it, how am I going to climb this wall?"  
  
"Help I can perhaps." Said a voice behind him. Skull Kid turned around to see a Garo. He reached for his knife. The Garo raised his hand, showing he had no weapons. "Relax. Here to help you I am."  
  
Skull Kid frowned. "Who are you, and why do you talk like that?"  
  
The Garo bowed. "Garo you may call me. Like this I talk because created that way I was. Your spirit guide I am."  
  
Skull Kid put away his knife. "You're my spirit guide? The guy who shows up now and then to give me advice and steer me down the right path?" The Garo nodded. Skull Kid lunged at the Garo and grabbed him by the neck, shaking him. "THEN WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I WENT BERSERK OVER THE DEPARTURE OF THE GIANTS AND WRECKED MY ENTIRE LIFE UNTIL RECENTLY?"  
  
The Garo backflipped out of Skull Kid's hands. "Recently assigned to you I was. Died I did quite recently."  
  
Skull Kid calmed down. "When did you die, and how?" asked Tael.  
  
"Slain by Majora I was. Reborn in this form, and assigned to you I was."  
  
"Who were you in life?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Former Sage of Light I was, then owl. Now ninja I am."  
  
Skull kid realized something. "Wait a minute. Owl? Kaepora Gaebora, is that you?"  
  
Garo nodded. "Kaepora I was, Garo I am. Help you up this cliff I shall."  
  
"How? Can you fly?"  
  
Garo shook his head, reached into his robe and pulled something out, handing it to Skull Kid. It seemed to be a purple sun visor. "Help you this will."  
  
Skull Kid examined the visor then looked up. "How will it..." Garo was gone. "Whoa...Tael, did you see him leave?"  
  
"No, I was looking at the visor."  
  
"Dang. I wonder what this thing does." Skull Kid put on the visor and looked at the cliff wall. "Wow!"  
  
"What? What is it?"  
  
"There are handholds on the cliff! A carved ladder! I think it goes straight to the top! And there are lots of ledges to rest on to build your strength. These visors must be Lenses of Truth or something."  
  
"Cool! Can I see them? Please?"  
  
"I'm sorry Tael, but these are too big for you. You might break them, and then we wouldn't be able to tell how to get up the cliff."  
  
"Aw..." said Tael, sagging. Skull Kid dug into the handholds and started climbing. He had to be very careful not to fall. Whenever he saw a ledge, he rested on it. After three hours, they reached the top of the cliff. And looked around in amazement. It was snowing. In the summertime. This was obviously a sign that something was wrong. The ground was covered in white, giant snowballs were everywhere, little snowballs littered the slope. The trees were dead, and those that weren't were completely white. They walked up they slope, staring around in disbelief. As they walked up the slope, they passed the frozen husks of the mountain's former population of Red Tektites. The trail stopped in front of an archway blocked with a wall of ice. There seemed to be no way to get through. Then Tael saw a huge precarious-looking icicle hanging just above the wall. "Hey Skull Kid, I think if we can knock down that icicle, the wall will break!"  
  
"Good idea. I don't want to waste my new arrows, so I'll just use my hookshot." (The arrows Skull Kid is referring to are the arrows he bought in town to refill his quiver. After all, he did use approximately thirty-nine arrows back in Forestfall Temple.) Skull Kid fired his hookshot at the icicle. It wobbled. He fired again. The icicle fell from the rock, smashing the wall to pieces. The way cleared Skull Kid and Tael walked through the arch to the next part of the trail. It was a long, twisting slope going up the mountain. As they walked up the path, giant snowballs fell from higher up the mountain, smashing to bits around them. Not wanting to get hit, Skull Kid and Tael ran away from the snow boulders. As the trail twisted and turned up the peak, the frequency of the boulders increased. Finally, they reached another stone arch, which was really more of a very long, upward sloping tunnel. Since they were now safe from the boulders, they took their time. However, Skull Kid  
was starting to get affected by the extreme cold. He had a tunic, so wasn't very warm. Tael tried his best to warm him up, but this was worse than it had been when Skull Kid had lain out in the freezing rain for hours. Tael turned his intensity to maximum, but it didn't help much in combating the cold. When Tael's heat started to scorch the tunic, Skull Kid told Tael to forget it. The tunnel was longer than they thought. Eventually, they could hear the muffled Wolfos' howl, signifying sundown. Remembering Impa's advice, Skull Kid stopped walking and set up camp.  
  
"Skull Kid, what are you doing?" asked Tael.  
  
"Heeding Impa's advice. She told us that no matter how close we are to the deadline, we should not travel the mountain at night."  
  
"But we're in a tunnel! What could happen?"  
  
"I shudder to think." Skull Kid finished the tent and went inside. It was warmer inside the tent than it was outside. They had dinner, then went to sleep, Skull Kid in his new sleeping bag, Tael in his hat.  
  
Majora fell to his knees, gasping and clutching his chest. His nemesis, that stupid imp, stood over, looking at him in contempt. Majora could feel the hatred of his prisoners as well. The imp raised his blade over Majora's neck. "Majora, you have ravaged the land and its people. You have enslaved its populace and tortured many. Your reign has gone on too long, and it is now at an end. What do you have to say for yourself?" "I...will...kill...you...no...matter...how...long...it...takes...I.... will...kill...you..." The imp sighed. "I was expecting that." He brought the sword down.  
  
Majora woke up, gasping and sweating. He blinked a few times, his large eyes immediately adjusting to the room's darkness. He groaned and got off of his bed, a large slab of brimstone and rubbed his eyes. He looked around his room. His stuffed carnivorous griffin was on the ground. His bedroom was nowhere near as palatial as his room back in the Infernal Citadel was, but he would take this room over his old one any day. Sure, he missed all the furniture and decorations, but all that could be moved into this dimension once the portal to Hell had been fully established. Even though he missed his old room, he liked his room on this moon better for one reason: it was not a part of his prison. Hell was a nice place, but it was a prison for his kind. He would be happier once his father brought a little taste of Hell to the mortal realms. Though it was true that they would never make it to Heaven, the least they could do was dominate all dimensions so the gods would be imprisoned  
in Heaven, just like the demons had been imprisoned in Hell. While it was true things would diminish so it wouldn't be as bad as Hell was now, it would still be very bad. Majora looked forward to that. But, back to the room description. He had covered the walls in carvings of screaming, twisted faces. There was a door on the far side of the room, and one closer to the bed. In the furthest corner of his room were the crystals containing Link and Zelda, and those accursed fairies. His magic had preserved them from needing any meals, toilets or baths, but they still could sleep. His magic also made the crystals soundproof so they could not shout through the walls of their prison, though they could hear everything outside. It also kept them from transforming and smashing their way out of the crystals. Majora pondered the meaning of his own dream. He had been battling his former slave, that stupid Skull Kid. That was odd, since he had killed Skull Kid two weeks ago. They were in  
Majora's throne room, with his prisoners looking on. Skull Kid was winning because he was using a holy blade, something similar yet different than his knife. Majora couldn't remember what the blade was, though. He shook his nightmare off as a bad dream caused by eating too much Dodongo Stomach. Then he remembered that demon's don't have dreams, only premonitions. He frowned. Did this mean that Skull Kid was still alive? Was it even Skull Kid at all? It might have been a different Skull Kid, one of those imps from the forest. They all look alike to the average being. He frowned. He knew premonitions could be wrong. And he didn't think that the blow the imp was about to deliver when he woke up would be enough to slay him. He decided to forget about it. He walked over to the crystals. He scanned the minds of his prisoners, looking into their dreams. Zelda was dreaming she was running in a field of flowers, with Link coming towards her. Tatl was dreaming about the times when her  
mother was still alive. Navi was dreaming she was a human. Then Majora scanned Link's dream and was angry. Link was dreaming he was chopping off Majora's head! The demon was not happy with this. He got an idea for something really mean to do to Link. He concentrated. Suddenly, Link's dream changed. He had been standing on the carcass of Majora, his sword plunged through the demon's heart in victory. Zelda was running towards him, ready to give him a kiss. Suddenly, Zelda exploded her guts and blood showering everything. The severed head of Majora floated up, laughing at what he had just done to Zelda. As Link stared in horror, the demon's head blasted Link with its heat vision. Link woke up screaming, which woke Navi up, causing her to shock Link by accident, which caused him to curse a few times. Majora grinned at the hero. Link glared at Majora, realizing whose fault it had been for that dreams ending. He shouted at Majora. Majora could not actually hear Link, but could  
sense his thoughts. "Oh my. I had no idea you knew such language, Link! Of course, your words do not bother me. Back home, those words are commonplace. Hmm? You're calling me a what? Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Link seemed to have run out of derogators. Then Navi started whispering some more in his ear, causing Link to shout them at Majora. Majora was surprised. "Why Navi, I'm surprised you knew those insults. They're quite effective, but don't harm me." Link paused, like he was listening to something. He grinned, then said a single word. Majora blinked. "What the? How did you know how to say my name in the demon tongue?" Not answering, Link said something else. Majora clutched his head, which suddenly hurt a lot. Link was using his name to somehow cause him pain. Roaring, Majora walked away from the crystals, trying to get rid of the headache. Once he was far enough away, Link let off, and Majora's head returned to normal. He glared angrily at Link. Finally, he grabbed his  
stuffed griffin, climbed onto his bed, and went to sleep.  
  
Skull Kid yawned and go up. After waking Tael, they repacked all of the camping gear and continued down the tunnel. After a few hours, they finally reached the end. The tunnel exited onto a ledge that immediately narrowed to being only six inches wide. Any slip would result in death. Skull Kid carefully started edging along the ledge, his back on the wall. It seemed like they would make it. That's when more giant snowballs started falling. They crashed down the mountainside, barely missing Skull Kid. Skull Kid gulped and leaned closer to the wall. He carefully continued edging along the ledge, looking up occasionally to watch out for boulders. After several close calls, Skull Kid made it to the other side of the ledge. Another tunnel went up from there. This one was a lot shorter. At the exit was a slope with a railing to prevent you from falling off the mountain. Skull Kid walked up the slope, dodging the dozens of boulders that kept rolling at him. At last, he reached the  
top of the slope and found another trail. It went higher up the mountain. Skull Kid started up the trail. It was a long hike. Just as Skull Kid was about to reach the top, night fell. He quickly set up camp and went to sleep. The next morning, Skull Kid was even colder. He had managed to keep up his metabolism by eating and exercising, but was still freezing. He walked the relatively short distance to the top of the slope. Just before he reached the slope, he turned around to see how far he had come. He shuddered. He was really high up. If he fell, his carcass would be ripped to shreds several times over, crushed by boulder, and smashed to pieces before reaching Kakariko Village. He turned forwards, shivering from the extreme cold, and went over the top of the slope. He wasn't really surprised by what he found. It was the area where Mountain Village had once been. White Wolfos and Blue Tektites prowled the area, looking for anyone stupid enough to cross their path.  
Snow-covered trees were here and there. The pond was frozen, and the cliff above it led to the mixed Goron Graveyard and Dodongo's Cavern. To the far right of the cliff was the trail that led to Goron City/Village. To the far left of the cliff was a trail that led to the top of the mountain. Skull Kid blew on his gloved hands and rubbed them together, trying to warm them up. He needed to figure out how to get some heat and fast. The nearest place that would be even remotely warm would be the cave at the top of the cliff. However, Skull Kid wasn't sure he could make it. He had been getting colder and colder during the long hike, and he was still cold even while in the sleeping bag. Skull Kid was feeling a bit ill. He was worried about the various sicknesses he might be having. He knew he could cure any and all diseases currently in his body if he got warm enough. But the hike to the cave in the cliff might kill him. He had no choice, though. It was either fight his way to the  
cliff, or die of cold. He started walking towards the iceberg-ridden pond in front of the cliff. The Wolfos and Tektites immediately made a beeline for him. As the large group of monsters came towards him, Skull Kid charged up his Spinning Knife attack. Just as the monsters were about to jump on him, Skull Kid unleashed his attack, killing most of the monsters and severely injuring the others. The injured ones ran away, deciding not to mess with him. The monsters that had been too slow to make it to the original attack wisely decided to stay away. Skull Kid used his Deku Mask to easily hop across the icebergs in the pond. He didn't want to risk swimming in ice-cold water in his current cold condition. He pulled off the mask at the base of the cliff, put on the Lenses of Truth to see the invisible ladder, and started climbing. It was harder than the cliff at the base of the mountain, even though it was not as tall. This cliff's ladder went all over the place, zigging and  
zagging. There were no ledges to rest on. The handholds were slippery because they were covered in ice. Also, an extremely cold wind was blowing. And since his fingers were getting numb, Skull Kid slipped several dozen times, barely managing to keep his grip. Tael was constantly floating over Skull Kid's fingers, trying to heat them up enough for him to keep going. After what seemed like an eternity, he made it to the top of the cliff. Once there, he panted for a moment, shivering madly. He couldn't feel his fingers or his toes. After several minutes of Tael trying to warm him up, Skull Kid decided to enter the cave. He recalled that the Goron Graveyard had a hot spring that he could quickly recover in. As he entered the cave, Skull Kid wondered why he hadn't seen the tunnel from the ground level. It would have saved him a lot of time and trouble. And he also wondered whether or not the Gorons were okay. Then he realized that since Majora had probably put his servant, the  
demon Goht, in charge of this mountain, the Gorons were definitely not okay. They were probably being put to work, just like the forest creatures. Of course, this also meant that some of the monsters in charge were forced to do this as well, so he had to watch for any signs. He knew he couldn't go to the top of the mountain until he at least tried to help the Gorons. He looked around. The cave was different than it had been the last time he was here. He saw plenty of Goron graves and the spring of hot water in the middle, but now there was another opening in the back. Also, there were two Bomb Flowers on either side of the spring. Skull Kid staggered over to the spring and jumped in, relaxing his sore and cold muscles in the spring's wonderful heat. He sighed and closed his beady little eyes, basking in the heat. True, he would be wet now, which would probably kill him if he stepped outside before he was dry, but those matters were not on his mind right now. As the feeling  
in his limbs returned, he felt a sharp pain of pins and needles, which he ignored. The heat revitalized his immortal immune system, driving out the viruses inside of him. Once he felt a hundred percent healthy, he got out of the spring. He immediately shivered since the cave was a bit chilly, but it was not that bad. He shook himself off.  
  
"Skull Kid, are you ready to move on?" asked Tael.  
  
Skull Kid stretched his arms and legs, glad to feel them again. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go through that opening in the back of the cave and see where it leads." Still dripping, he walked over to the opening that led deeper into the cavern. It was a tunnel that went downwards. As Skull kid went down the tunnel, he could feel quite a lot of heat. He was drying off fast from this heat. Eventually, he began to sweat like mad. They weren't that deep inside the earth, what was causing this heat? As he reached the end of the tunnel, he found out. He was in a huge cavern. The floor was mostly covered with lava. Straight ahead of him was a metal pier over the lava that led to a stoner pillar that rose and sunk out of the lava. In front of the pillar was a large platform. The platform had two other pillars like the one in front, except the one on the right went up to a higher level. On either side of the platform, where the pillars led from, were two wide ledges, each with three  
openings on them. Ramps on either side of Skull Kid's pier led to the floor, where one could walk around the lava to ladders that led up to the ledges. Directly across from Skull Kid, on the back wall, was a huge skull of some dinosaur, with glowing red eye sockets. The ribs of that dead dinosaur supported the ceiling. The skull's mouth was open, resting on the edge of the platform. An opening at the back of the skull's mouth led to a different chamber. Two bridges on the upper level ran across from one end of the room to the other. But that wasn't what got Skull Kid's attention. He was focused on the people in the room. Fire Keese were flying around the ceiling. Dodongos and Lizalfos walked around the chamber. Gorons were in the lava, digging out chunks of mineral from underneath it. Skull Kid slapped on the Stone Mask on walked to the edge of the pier to get a better look at the Gorons. He saw an old Goron stopping for a moment, wiping sweat from his brow. One of the  
Dodongos noticed and turned towards the elderly Goron. Inhaling, the Dodongo let loose a blast of fire breath, which hit the Goron in the back. It did not hurt the Goron, but did incite him to get back to work. The Lizalfos were standing around the room, looking depressed. Of course, it was kind of hard to tell from their long reptile faces, but their body language showed it. The Lizalfos were probably monsters who were forced to do this, like the Stalfos had been. The Dodongos were more bestial than the Lizalfos, but they seemed to have an inflated air about them. They seemed to strut around in pride, and took pleasure in blasting the Gorons, even if it didn't hurt them. Since Keese are bats, Skull Kid couldn't tell whether or not they were forced to do it, but he doubted they had much of an opinion on the matter. Skull Kid did not want a repeat of when he had decided to be a Scrub back in the forest to see how bad the workers had been treated. He decided to just watch. He  
wondered why the Gorons didn't fight back. Even without a hero, a lone Goron could still usually summon the courage to fight. A single Goron could probably kill most of the enemies in the cave. So why didn't they? Then Skull Kid noticed that each Goron had a sort of muzzle made of stone affixed to their faces. The reason that they didn't just eat these muzzles was clear: they were made from gneiss, a mineral despised by all Gorons. The muzzles explained why the Gorons couldn't fight back. The muzzles kept them from eating good rock, so they were slowly starving. Without food, a Goron is quite weak.  
  
"What's our plan of action?" asked Tael.  
  
"Well, it seems to me that the big skull at the back of the room is where we should go."  
  
"We're not going to blend in with the Gorons?"  
  
"Hell no! Last time we tried that, I ended up exhausted and whipped a few times."  
  
"But you said it didn't hurt."  
  
"No, I said I've gotten worse. It actually hurt a lot, but it is nothing compared to some of those other tortures I mentioned. I have had enough torture in one lifetime. Let's just go in and kill whoever the hell is in charge of this operation."  
  
"Sounds good to me. Let's roll!" Still wearing the Stone Mask, Skull Kid hopped across the pillars in the lava. He reached the open skull and walked through the hole in the back to the next chamber. It was a large square room with a block set into the floor, a high opening straight ahead, and a door on either side of the room. Dodongos lounged about, basking in the heat from the lava pool in the room's northeast corner. Since Skull Kid didn't want to disturb the dinosaurs by going through the east door, he headed to the west. He entered another large chamber, with a huge pit in the floor. The pit dropped straight down to another cavern. There were even more Dodongos in here. They were walking around the edge of the pit, while others were walking up or down the walls of the pit, using the sticky pads on their feet to move vertically. In the middle of the cavern was a large pool of hardened lava. Skull Kid couldn't see the rest of the cavern too well, but he got the idea that  
this was where the chief was. He took a running jump of the pit's edge, falling into it. He landed on the hardened lava, which was fortunately soft enough to break his impact. He looked around. Sticking out of the lava was the skull and front paws of another giant Dodongo. He heard voices, so hid behind the skull, peeking over to see who was there. There was a medium-width strip of land running around the pool. Across from him was a bunch of Dodongos, heading for something unbelievably huge and monstrous that he couldn't believe he hadn't seen when he was above the pit. It was like a Dodongo, but gargantuan. It was even bigger than the old King Dodongo was!  
  
"Tael, what is that?" whispered Skull Kid.  
  
"Eep! That's the Imperial Dodongo! It's an even worse monster than the Master Stalfos was! He can see through the illusion caused by your mask, so don't get too close. Fortunately, his eyesight is pretty lousy. His nose is superb, though."  
  
Skull Kid looked over the form of Imperial Dodongo. He had a lower body built like a King Dodongo, with a spiked back, a long tail, and four legs. However, his body then sprouted a torso from where its head would be, jutting upwards from a flexible point. The torso was heavily muscled. More spikes were on its back. It had two mighty arms, one of which wielded a huge hammer. Its head was basically the same as the common Dodongo, with the green-blue eyes, wide mouth, and single horn, but this one had spines growing from the back of its head. "What kind of attacks does he have?"  
  
"He can curl up into a spiky ball and roll at you, he can crush you with the hammer, he can jump and stomp to cause a shockwave, and he can breathe fire."  
  
The Imperial Dodongo roared. The smaller Dodongos bellowed back. "What are they saying?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I think the Imperial was asking whether or not ore production has increased, and they're saying that there will soon be enough ore to make the invincible war machines to assault other countries."  
  
"What do they mean by invincible war machines?"  
  
"I don't know, but I think we have to put a stop to it. Do you think you can slay the Imperial Dodongo?"  
  
`That depends. What are his weak spots?"  
  
"His hide is too heavily armored to launch a direct attack. His mouth, tail and eyes are the only spots that you could damage him at. But his mouth won't be a good place to kill him, possibly to stun him. If he's stunned, you can poke him in the eye with your knife. Bombs should stun him. Did we get any back in Kakariko?"  
  
Skull Kid grinned and pulled out his bomb bag. "I got forty bombs right here. When should I throw bombs at him?"  
  
"Do it when he's inhaling for his fire breath. But don't get too close or he'll suck you up and eat you."  
  
"Guess I should start the battle or something." He pulled off the Stone Mask and walked around the skull. The Imperial Dodongo noticed him and bellowed a challenge. "Yeah, that's right you big lizard! I want to fight you!" The Dodongo bellowed again. The Dodongos all scurried up the walls to watch the battle from the room above. The Imperial stomped towards Skull Kid, moving quite slowly. "Can't he move any faster?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"No, I don't think so." Said Tael.  
  
"Oh well. I throw the bomb when he starts to inhale?" Tael nodded. "Good. I'm ready." The Imperial made it over to Skull Kid. He tried to squash him, but was too slow. Skull Kid easily dodged the dinosaur's feet. The Dodongo got angry and leaped into the air. Skull Kid rolled out from under his shadow just before the monster came down. He slowly turned. Skull Kid ran behind and did a jump attack on the Dodongo's tail. The Imperial roared and spun around fast, knocking Skull Kid away with his tail. As Skull Kid groaned and pulled himself up, the Imperial began to inhale. Skull Kid pulled out a bomb, lit it, and hurled it into the air. It got picked up by the vacuum from the Dodongo's inhalation and was sucked down the monster's gullet. A moment later, it exploded in the Imperial's stomach, stunning him. He fell to the ground, his torso leaning to the earth. Skull Kid saw that he couldn't use his knife on the monster's eyes, but he could use an arrow. With Tael's targeting,  
Skull Kid shot an arrow right into the Imperial's eye, making him half-blind. He screamed in pain and got to his feet. Furious, he tried to smash Skull Kid with his hammer. Of course, now that he had only one working eye, his depth perception was shot, so he missed Skull Kid completely. He curled up into a ball and rolled towards Skull Kid, also missing him completely. Finally, the monster just gave up and prepared another dose of fire breath. Skull Kid hurled another bomb into the monster's throat, stunning him again. Skull Kid shot an arrow into the beast's other eye, making him completely blind. He roared and shook his head in pain. After a moment, he relied on his excellent senses of smell and hearing to pinpoint the imp's location. He charged, waving his hammer. Skull Kid ran. Even though he was faster, the beast covered more distance. The beast leapt into the air and came down with an awesome crash, barely missing Skull Kid. As the Imperial swung his hammer, Skull Kid  
ran behind the Dodongo and jump attacked the tail. Spinning around, the Dodongo kicked out at Skull Kid, knocking him into the cavern wall. The Dodongo spectators cheered their emperor on. Skull Kid struggled to get up, but found his ankle was sprained from that kick. As the Imperial stomped towards Skull Kid, brandishing his hammer, Tael anxiously tried to think of something that would help. Then he got an idea.  
  
"Skull Kid, use the mask!"  
  
"What, the Deku Mask? The Imperial would kill me immediately!"  
  
"No, the Goron Mask! This is a cave, the Goron's home turf! You'll be able to take on that monster with a better chance, since Gorons can't be harmed by fire. You also won't have a sprained ankle. Come on, if you don't he'll eat you!"  
  
Skull Kid looked at the Imperial. He was halfway there. Skull Kid reached into his pack, pulled out the Goron Mask, and slapped it on. He immediately felt immense pain flowing through his body. His bones got bigger and thicker, his skin got harder, his muscles bulging. His legs widened, his arms grew much longer, and his stomach expanded. His head changed shape, sprouting facial hair. He screamed, and it was over. He looked at himself in amazement. He was huge! Well, he was a lot bigger than he had been before. He was eight feet tall, with tan skin. He still had the lower half of his tunic around his lower parts. His thick legs ended in bigger versions of his boots. His arms were long and unbelievably muscled, his gloves transformed into gauntlets. He had a necklace of blue pearls and an actual beard. His numerous scars, hidden by his clothes, were now quite visible. His back was rocky. His scarecrow hat was perched on his head, looking slightly awkward. His eyes were larger  
and black. He was a Goron! The other Dodongos grunted in surprise. The Imperial stopped, confused at the change in scent of the imp. He sniffed the air, wondering what a Goron was doing here. Then he heard the bellowing of his subjects, telling him that the imp had somehow changed into a Goron. Skull Kid grinned. "It's payback time." He ran towards the Imperial and discovered that he wasn't much faster than the Dodongos were. The Imperial started inhaling. Skull Kid pulled out a bomb and hurled it with his new Goron muscles. Since he wasn't as close, the bomb took longer to get to the dinosaur. When it actually reached his maw, it exploded, scorching his mouth and permanently destroying his taste buds. The Imperial roared in pain, hacking out smoke. This imp had deprived him of his two most important senses! He would pay! The Imperial hit the ground with his hammer, sending a shockwave in Skull Kid's direction and knocking him off his feet. Bellowing, the dinosaur charged,  
moving a bit faster than normal. Skull Kid surprised himself by curling into a ball and rolling away. The Dodongo curled up as well, rolling after Skull Kid. As he rolled around the cavern, Skull Kid tried to think of a plan. He could tell that the Dodongo was following his every move. Maybe he could use that to his advantage. Picking up speed, he rolled straight towards the skull of King Dodongo. The Imperial followed. At the last second, Skull Kid made a sharp turn away from the skull. The Dodongo rolled right into it and ricocheted into one of the walls. Stunned, he uncurled. Skull Kid made another sharp turn, getting even faster as he rolled right for the dazed dinosaur. He rolled for the Imperial's tail, going faster and faster until spikes sprung out of his body, giving him extra traction. He rolled towards the Imperial at great speed, rolling over his tail with his spikes. The Imperial screamed. Skull Kid swerved, rolling over the tail again and again. Finally, just  
before rolling over the tail once more, he bounced into the air and performed the Goron Slam, hitting the Imperial's tail like a falling six hundred-pound spiked weight, which he was, in a way. This hurt the Dodongo a lot. He slumped over, his head inches from the ground as he panted, trying to recover. Skull Kid uncurled and ran over to the face of the monster. Rearing back his arm, he hit the Imperial Dodongo with an awesome Goron Punch. The monster roared once more before his head slumped to the floor, dead. But his body was still twitching. It began to glow.  
  
"Skull Kid, shield yourself, quick!" shouted Tael.  
  
Skull Kid got down on his belly, his rocky back serving as a shield just in time for the Imperial Dodongo's final attack. The Dodongo exploded in an awesome blast, shaking the entire cavern. Skull Kid got up and looked around. There was nothing left of the Imperial. He looked up. The other Dodongos were all dead as well, as signified by the multiple explosions he could hear from above. Skull Kid pulled off the Goron Mask and grinned. "Woohoo! We did it! We killed the Imperial Dodongo! And the transformation must have healed my ankle, because it's not sprained anymore!"  
  
"Uh, Skull Kid, not to detract from your victory dance or anything, but how do we get out of here?"  
  
Skull Kid stopped. "Uh, that's a very good question Tael."  
  
A Goron peeked over the top of the pit. "Hey! Is anyone down there!" he yelled.  
  
"Yeah, we are!" yelled Skull Kid.  
  
"Did you kill the Imperial Dodongo?" yelled the Goron.  
  
"Yes, I did!" yelled Skull Kid.  
  
"Really? Great! Come on up and all of us Gorons and Lizalfos will thank you for it!"  
  
"How do I get back up?"  
  
"There's a secret passage! I'll come down and open it for you!" The Goron pulled his head back. A few minutes later, a part of the wall near Skull Kid pulled up, revealing the Goron and the secret tunnel. The Goron noticed Skull Kid. "Wow! Did you kill the Imperial?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"But you're just a little imp! How did you do it?"  
  
"I'd rather not reveal my methods. Can you please take me out of this pit?"  
  
"Oh, sure! Just follow me." The Goron led Skull Kid back to the upper level of the cave. When they entered the main chamber, there was a large group of Lizalfos and Gorons celebrating their freedom. The Goron was about to call their attention, but Skull Kid stopped him.  
  
"Uh, could you please not tell everyone what happened yet? I don't want to get caught up in a victory celebration. I need to get to the top of the mountain, and fast." He whispered.  
  
"How come?"  
  
"I'm on a mission to get to the temple at the top of the mountain. I can't go into details, but can you please do what I asked?"  
  
The Goron shrugged. "I guess so."  
  
"Thanks. I really appreciate it. Come on, Tael."  
  
"Wait. Before you go, you should learn this song that will allow you to get into the temple. It's called the Goron's Lullaby. I'll whistle it softly so no one falls asleep."  
  
He whistled a tune. Skull Kid played along on his flute. Nobody fell asleep because they were talking to each other and couldn't hear the song. When the song was mastered, Skull Kid and Tael left the Cavern. The pair were soon out in the cold again. It seemed like such a drag after the heat of the cavern. After climbing down the long ladder, they made their way to the trail that led up to the top of the mountain. It was steep and very twisty, zigzagging up the mountainside. Snowballs were constantly falling. After many hours of hiking, night fell, and Skull Kid had to set up camp again. They started off again the next morning, still going up the trail. Despite their slow progress, they were always getting closer and closer to the top of the mountain. White Wolfos now and then attacked them, but were no match for Skull Kid. At noon, they finally reached the last leg of the trail. It was a ledge going over a deep pit, with snow boulders constantly raining down on them. The  
ledge had several gaps in it. Skull Kid was able to traverse these gaps by rolling across as a Goron at top speed. When at top speed, he was also able to mow down all the snowballs in his path. After traversing the pit, Skull Kid took off the mask and they continued up the trail, going higher and higher. After a very long hike, they made it. They reached the top of the mountain, just outside of the volcano's crater. It was unbelievably cold, and the gusts of wind made it even colder. There was a small cave that went into the crater. As Skull Kid started to enter, he heard a deep, booming voice behind him. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY, WHAT ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRE YOOOOOOOOOOU DOING HERRRRRRRRRRRE?"  
  
Skull Kid turned around and saw a thirty-foot tall Goron. Tael hid behind Skull Kid's hat quivering in fear. "Who are you?" he asked nervously.  
  
"I'M BIGGORRRRRRON, THE BIGGEST GORRRRRRRRRRON ON THE MOUNTAIN. I MAKE SWORRRRRRRRRRRDS AND WATCH ALL OF THE LAND FRRRRRRRRRROM ON HIGH. WHO ARRRRRRRRRRE YOU?"  
  
"I'm Skull Kid. I'm trying to stop the mountain from staying frozen over. Is the temple inside the crater?"  
  
Biggoron nodded. "YEAH, IT'S RRRRRRRIGHT IN THERRRRRRRRRE. IT"S CHANGED A LOT, AND THERRRRRRRRRRE'S A WEIRRRRRRRRD GUY IN THERRRRRRRRRRRRRE WHO LOOKS LIKE ME, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY THE TEMPLE."  
  
"Thanks." Said Skull Kid, heading into Death's Head Crater.  
  
"YOU'RRRRRRRRRRRE WELCOME. GOOD LUCK, LITTLE GUY."  
  
As Skull Kid entered the crater, the first thing he noticed was how hot it was. It immediately recovered him from the harsh cold and winds outside then immediately made him sweat like a pig. It was hot. He looked around him. He was on a high, wide cliff overlooking the molten heart of the volcano. A ramp to his far left led to a ladder that led down to a lower ledge. On that ledge was a bridge that led to another ledge, with a bridge leading to a large rock island in the center of the crater. There were two large cones on the island that spewed smoke and a hexagonal platform with an owl statue on it was in between the cones. A stone bridge on the island led to a building built into the wall of the crater. It was like a huge tower, with spikes coming from the top of it. It was the temple. Sitting in front of the entrance was another thirty-foot Goron, who was blowing out gusts of wind across the bridge in front of him. Skull Kid made his way to the ladder and climbed down it  
then walked across the bridge. On the ledge, he noticed a tunnel that led to somewhere else. "Tael, can you see where that tunnel leads?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Tael flew down the tunnel. A few minutes later, he came back. "It's a two-way wormhole that leads straight to Goron City/Village."  
  
"Wait, you mean we could have used this shortcut to get here instead of walking, and have saved us a hole day not to mention a lot of warmth?'  
  
"I guess so."  
  
Skull Kid groaned. "Damn it! Why didn't we think about using the shortcut? Link told us about it!"  
  
"I guess we just forget." Said Tael.  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "Well, at least we can use it on the way back. Come on, let's get to the temple." He walked across the bridge and onto the rock island. He could see the Terminan Biggoron in front of him, breathing out gusts of wind that would knock him off the bridge if he tried to cross. He tried to think about what to do. "Tael, do you have any ideas on how we can get past this guy?"  
  
"Well, that Goron said tat Goron's Lullaby would allow us to get into the temple. Maybe you should play it?"  
  
"Hey, good idea! I'll try it." Skull Kid pulled out his flute and played the Goron's Lullaby. Biggoron stopped and blinked. He yawned and tried to keep his eyes open. He couldn't. He curled up into a ball and fell asleep. He fell off the bridge and into the lava. A minute later, he emerged, sputtering.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, his voice much softer than that of the Biggoron outside.  
  
"You were having a weird dream, so I woke you up." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"You did? Gee, thanks. I don't know what I'm doing here, but I know something's wrong."  
  
"What makes you say that? The fact that it's snowing on the top of an active volcano? The large building across this bridge? The fact that the mountain is higher? The other Biggoron right outside the crater? The weird cloud above the mountain?"  
  
"That, and my last memory before I fell asleep. I saw this huge mechanical goat coming out of the shortcut to Goron City. It was dragging two blocks of ice with Gorons in them. It somehow walked across the bridge. When it got to me, it hit me with a bolt of lightning or something like that. Next thing I know, I'm here." Biggoron swam over to the island and pulled himself up. "If you're here to fix whatever's wrong, do it quick. I think something bad will happen otherwise."  
  
"Acknowledged." Said Skull Kid. He ran across the rock bridge and entered the temple.  
  
That is the end of this chapter. What will Skull Kid and Tael find inside Death's Head Temple? You'll just have to see for yourself. And don't forget to review! 


	6. This place isn't really as bad as they m...

Blah blah blah. Me pi2. Read story. Blah blah blah. Review it.  
  
Disclaimer: Yak yak yak.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Skull Kid looked around. He was in the entry hall to the temple. It was a rectangular room with small pillars affixed to the walls and a very odd looking sense of décor. Right in front of Skull Kid was a staircase leading up to a platform with a door on either side. In the middle were three tiki-style faces with flames in their mouths. Lining the path to the stairs were arcing fingers of stone and ice. Now here's the weird part. The left side of the room was done in stone, with normal orange fire and elaborate stone carvings, but the right side seemed cold and icy, with no carvings on the walls at all. The flame in the tiki torch was blue. The largest tiki head, the one in the middle, was split, with both orange and blue fire. Fire and Ice Keese flapped around the room. White Boes were hiding behind the arcing fingers. "Whoa…" said Skull Kid. "This place is split right down the middle. One half is fire, the other is ice."  
  
"That's a result of the merging of the two temples." Said Tael. "One half is like the original Fire Temple, while the other is a mix of Snowhead and Fire. We have to choose which door to go through."  
  
Skull Kid walked towards the stairs, easily killing the White Boes and Keese. At the top, he looked at his door options. A lock made of ice sealed the one on the right. The other door was unlocked. Skull Kid decided he had no other option so used it. He was in a square room with several stone platforms and a floor covered with lava. At the far end was a treasure chest. Skull Kid used his hookshot to pull himself across to the chest then opened it. It looked like a small key. "Oh great, not these again!"  
  
"Skull Kid, wait! This is no ordinary small key. Look at it! It's made of silver, and has an icy sheen to it. This is the Ice Key. It is a reusable key that can unlock all icy doors in the temple." Said Tael.  
  
"Really? Cool! Finally, a reusable small key. Well, except for that one back in Forestfall that we used to raise and lower the flower, but that was different." He turned around and realized he had no hookshot target to use. He would have to carefully jump from pillar to pillar, unless…he put on the Goron Mask and jumped into the lava, wading through it to get back to the door. He pulled himself back up to the main platform and went back through the door, reentering the entry hall. He walked across to the icy door, trying not to slide on the slippery floor. Taking out the Ice Key, he opened the door and entered what looked like the main room of Snowhead Temple. It was big and round, with five stories (not including the basement.). He was standing on a ledge that ran to his left across the wall of the room. Two doors were on the ledge, one of which was ice-blocked. Just next to the ledge was a caged in platform with a Goron Switch in it. A stone bridge led from the first, open door across the top of the huge pillar in the middle of the room. Two other stone bridges led away from the pillar top. One led to another ice-blocked door, while the other led to a smaller ledge with a staircase leading up from the basement and an ice- locked door. Ice Keese flew around the higher levels. Skull Kid looked around, not sure where to begin. Since he could see the basement by looking down from the edge of the ledge, he could tell there was nothing down there. He decided to take the normal door on his current ledge. He walked over and went inside, finding a room with a large block stuck in the wall and a lowered floor area to move it around in. Skull Kid walked over to the block and pulled it out. Using his Goron muscles, he moved the block to the farthest point on the track. When he reached it, the block sank into the ground. A treasure chest appeared. Inside was a golden key. "Let me guess, this is the Fire Key and can unlock fiery doors in this temple?" he asked Tael.  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess. Let's see what's in those other rooms." He reentered the tall room and walked across the bridge and pillar to the icy door. He unlocked it and found himself on a ledge high above a lava pit. The ledge went to his right and straight forward onto a pillar in the middle of the lava. There was nothing on his right except two Freezards. To the left of the pillar was another ledge with a staircase on it. The Freezards were too far away to hurt him, and he didn't want to look for trouble. It was obvious that a Goron could never make the jump to the stairs, so he pulled off the mask, walked to the pillar, and made a running jump to the stairs. He walked up them and found a square tall room. There was a platform in the center and a treasure chest to his left. Higher up was a ledge that covered two walls and jutted out a bit towards the center of the room. The edges were lined with spikes. An eye switch rested on the wall above the ledge, a Freezard just below it. A Real Bombchu scampered around on the floor. Skull Kid ran over to the treasure chest and opened it, revealing…the Dungeon Map! "Oh great. A worthless piece of paper." Muttered Skull Kid. "Link said he never needed these things during his quests, but he never got rid of them." Curious, he took a look at the map and discovered the room he was in was the only chamber on the second floor. It didn't help much, but it was slightly interesting. There was supposed to be a door on the upper ledge leading to the third floor. He stowed away the Map and ran over to the Real Bombchu. When it noticed him, it squeaked and charged. Skull Kid deflected it with his shield. The giant mouse bounced onto its back and exploded. Skull Kid stepped onto the platform and looked at the eye switch. The Freezard was blocking it. He really didn't want to waste arrows, but he would never be able to activate the switch if he didn't get rid of the Freezard. It took four shots, but the Freezard finally shattered, allowing Skull Kid a clear shot at the eye switch. Skull Kid shot the switch with another arrow. The platform he was standing on elevated to the height of the ledge, allowing Skull Kid to jump to it. He made a running jump to the ledge to make sure he didn't hit the spikes. Once on the ledge, he went through the door in front of him. He was back in the main chamber, on the third floor. In front of him was a frozen bridge that went partway across the room, then ended in a ramp. Across the gap was another frozen bridge that also had a ramp. Since the bridges faced each other, it was likely that they had once been the same bridge until something rose up from below and broke the bridge. The only thing that was in the space between and below the bridges was the pillar on the first floor, but it didn't look like it could get any taller. Or could it? At the other end of the room, at the end of the broken bridge, was an ice-locked door. To Skull Kid's right was a ledge that had been covered in a snow bank. A net was placed beneath the bank for people who fell off it. The net and ledge went a quarter of the room's circumference, then stopped on the side of another broken frozen bridge that also once bridged the room and had a continuing segment across the gap. On both sides of the bridge were doors. The one at the end of the snow bank was blocked with ice. A ladder led out of the net onto the bridge with the frozen door, but there was no ladder on Skull Kid's bridge. Skull Kid wanted to find out what was behind the door at the other end of his bridge, but there was only one way to find out. He put on the Goron Mask.  
  
Tael noticed. "Uh, Skull Kid? What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm going to cross the bridge."  
  
"But how? It's broken and…you don't mean…"  
  
"That's right. I'm going to roll across."  
  
"But Skull Kid, are you sure you've had enough practice to use the Goron Roll properly?"  
  
"I'm pretty sure. Besides, if we fall, we'll just climb back up. It's not that long a drop, and since I'm curled up, it won't hurt much."  
  
"I guess you should go ahead then…" said Tael uneasily. Skull Kid backed up to the wall, aimed himself at the door on the other side, and curled up. He began to roll. The ice on the bridge helped speed him up, until he finally sprouted spikes and rolled super fast. He reached the ramp at the broken end of the bridge and rolled over it, launching himself across the gap. He flew through the air for a few seconds before landing on the other bridge and rolling for the door. Before he could uncurl, he hit the door. At full speed, it kind of hurt. He moaned and uncurled.  
  
"Whoa, that was so cool!" he said, slightly dazed.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, let's go." He was about to unlock the door when Tael stopped him.  
  
"Don't you think you should take the mask off first?" asked Tael.  
  
"Oh yeah." He pulled off the mask and unlocked the door. Inside was a square room with gold-colored bricks covering the walls. Tiles covered the floor. In the middle of the room was a design similar to that of the pillar Skull Kid had used on the second floor. In each corner of the room was a large brick platform with fire shooting from the top of it. The top of each platform had a clear area in the middle of the flames. This clear area was a strange blue tile. Skull Kid walked onto the tile in the middle of the room. He heard a noise. He turned around just in time to see iron bars block the door. Suddenly, from the platform in the top-left corner of the room, a strange creature appeared on the blue tile. It had arms and legs made of wire, each one flaming. It had another flame with a wire frame shaped to have horns, a jaw, and fangs for a head. Its body was a metal sphere with little green eyes and red markings. It also had a pair of legs. In its right hand, it held a large wand/staff with a red flame burning atop it. It cackled, then danced around the room, flying from platform to platform before vanishing back into the blue tile it had showed up on. "Tael, what was that thing?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"That was a Flare Wizdancer," said Tael. "A combination of a Flare Dancer and a Wizrobe. It dances from flame to flame, throwing fire spells at you, and…HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!"  
  
Skull Kid whirled around in time to see the Wizdancer spinning on one of the platforms, just before it hurled a massive blast of fire at him. Skull Kid barely missed the blast. The Wizdancer cackled as it vanished into the blue tile. Skull Kid turned around, trying to see where it would pop up next. "So, how do I attack?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Whenever the Wizard pops up, it spins around on its tile for several seconds before throwing a spell at you. While it's spinning, shoot it with an arrow, then grapple onto its core with your hookshot. Once you have it, stab it repeatedly. I'll target him for you whenever he pops up. He's over there! Get your crossbow!" Tael flew over to the Wizdancer, who was spinning on its tile. Skull Kid shot it with an arrow. The monster screeched and stopped dancing for a moment, its flames dissipating, causing the core to fall to the ground. Skull Kid quickly switched his crossbow for his hookshot and grappled the monster's core, pulling it towards him. While it was confused, Skull Kid pulled out his dagger and stabbed the core repeatedly, thought it tried to get away repeatedly by running on its little legs. But it was too slow when it came to turning, and Skull Kid was always able to stab it some more. Finally, the core managed to get away from him. It jumped back onto one of the platforms, vanishing onto the tile. Skull Kid pulled out his crossbow and panned the room. As he did, the flames turned from orange to blue. The Wizdancer popped out of one of the tiles and started spinning. "Watch out! His spin is shorter now, and he throws ice spells!" shouted Tael as he flew over to the monster.  
  
"No problem." Said Skull Kid, squeezing off another arrow. While the Wizdancer was stunned, he grappled it off its platform and repeatedly stabbed it, running around it whenever it tried to get away.  
  
Finally, it jumped back into the fire, vanishing on another tile. As Skull kid panned the room, the flames turned green. The Wizdancer popped out of another tile, green as well. Instead of spinning, it created a copy of itself that danced from platform to platform while the real monster prepared its spell. Before Skull Kid could even raise his bow, the Wizdancer finished its spin and threw a lightning bolt, which the imp barely dodged. As the monster vanished once more, Skull Kid decided to shoot the instant e saw the Wizdancer next time. Both Wizdancers, the copy and the real one, appeared on different platforms. As the fake danced, Skull Kid shot and grappled the real Wizdancer. He stabbed it again and again and again, until finally, it jumped into the flames once more. A minute later, it reappeared on another tile, still in green flames, and jumped off the platform, screeching as it hit the floor. All the fire in the room was extinguished. The blue tiles combusted into purple flames. The Wizdancer's core swelled, growing really big. Then, it exploded. Skull Kid was out of the way by then, so he didn't need to worry. The door unlocked. A treasure chest appeared in the middle of the room, on the weird tile. Skull Kid ran over and opened it, expecting another key. He found something else. It was a bag of fifty strange devices. Each device had what looked like a digital screen on its back, with sticky pads on its front. A remote control was included with a few buttons on it. All of the devices bore an emblem of a large fish hovering over a giant island. "What are these?" asked Skull Kid. "That emblem looks familiar as well."  
  
"That's the emblem of Atlantis! These must be some of the machines from there." Skull Kid immediately understood. In the Mesmorian library, he had read much about the true history of Atlantis. It was a giant island, really more of a small continent. It was inhabited by a powerful race of Zoras, with a civilization dating back to the age before humans had evolved. They were incredibly advanced. Nobody but fairies had ever been to Atlantis, which was why the Mesmorians knew about it. The Atlanteans had tamed the monsters of the seas and the land using mind-control devices. They had erected huge cities and vehicles. They had a guard of sea monsters to keep out trespassers. They even had robots; machines that walked, talked, and acted like people. Atlantis was also known as the only place on the planet where dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts (aside from Dodongos) still roamed the world.  
  
"Do you know what kind of machine it is?"  
  
"Let me see…I remember seeing a picture of these back home…oh yeah! These are a more advanced form of bomb. They can be attached to any surface using those sticky pads on their underside. You can also set a timer for detonation, or leave it off and use that remote control to automatically detonate a bomb. The bag protects the bombs from the control's radio signal, preventing them from blowing up. The signal will detonate any bombs in a room when activated. You can even attach them to your arrows to blow up stuff far away."  
  
"Now, this is a useful weapon." Said Skull Kid. He put the advanced technology into his pack and left the room. It looked like he would have to cross the bridge again. He put on the Goron Mask and rolled across the bridge. He then jumped into the net and walked across to the other side, where he climbed out and examined the frozen door. "Hey Tael, how do you think we can melt these doors?"  
  
"Well, we would need something hot, like a Fire Arrow. Too bad we don't have one, or something similar."  
  
"Yeah, too bad. Well, let's cross this next bridge." Skull Kid curled up and rolled across the bridge the same way he had done the last two times. On the other side, he unlocked the icy door and found himself in an odd corridor. Just like the entrance hall, it was split: one half Snowhead, one half Fire. A fiery lock sealed the door at the other end. Skull Kid used his Fire Key to unlock the door and entered the next room. It was just as big as the room he had left, but not nearly as tall. It was also round. Fire Keese flew around the area. In the middle was a huge pillar, the same size as the one back in the Ice side, but raised. A wall came from the back of the pillar, separating the two halves of the room in that direction. Skull Kid was on a platform with stairs leading down to the room. Directly in front of him was a floor grating that overlooked the room where he had found the Ice Key, with a square pavilion in the middle. A block was in front of that, in front of a platform jutting from the pillar. Around the room were various flame-thrower pillars, fake doors, and small pillars that concealed walls of fire. Boulders rolled around throughout. Skull Kid tried to explore the room, but kept running into concealed walls of fire. As a Goron, they didn't hurt him, but they did impede his progress. After several minutes, he determined that crossing the right side of the room would be impossible. He tried the left. After several more minutes, he made it to a door leading inside the pillar. It was hollow and had no top. He was in a passage between two high platforms. A treasure chest was in the middle of the room. He could see another room far above him, but he could not reach it. He opened the treasure chest to find…a compass. He grumbled to himself that whoever had put out all this stuff could have been a little more considerate. He saw another door across from him, so went through it. He found himself in the right side of the room, in a position to go somewhere. After several minutes, he found a door and a switch, but they were on a platform surrounded by fire. He found a switch nearby that would lower the flames, but it was on a timer. That meant he would have to run. And his Goron form couldn't take that. As an imp, the fire would hurt a lot, but he had bought a few Red Potions back in Kakariko just in case of an emergency. He scouted the way to the platform, memorizing which spaces between pillars didn't have walls of fire. Then he went back to the switch took off the Goron Mask, and stepped on it. The wall of fire lowered. He quickly ran back to it, jumping onto the platform just before the fire re- ignited. Relieved that he had made it, he walked up to the door and tried to open it. It was a fake door and tried to fall on him. He barely jumped away in time. He took out his Blast Mask, faced the door, and raised his shield. He concentrated on the Mask's power. It exploded, destroying the door and the fake wall behind it, revealing the real door, which was fire- sealed. Before using the Fire Key, Skull Kid tested the switch. It lowered the wall of fire, permanently switching it off. Skull Kid unlocked and entered it and found himself in an octagonal room, with a small pillar in each corner. It was done in the same basic style of the rest of the Fire side of the temple. In the center was a platform with a short set of stairs leading up to it. The platform's edges were flaming, and a blue tile was in the middle. "Oh no, not another one." Groaned Skull Kid. Iron bars sealed the door behind him. Another Wizdancer appeared on the blue tile and cackled. Tael flew out, ready for targeting. "Tael, I don't think I'll need you for this battle. There's only one tile, so he can't trick me. I can handle it."  
  
"Okay." Said Tael. Skull Kid prepared to fight the Wizdancer. True to his word, he didn't need any help with this one at all. He easily defeated the Flare Wizdancer. "Hey, nice job!" said Tael. "Maybe you don't need my after all."  
  
"Don't be silly." Said Skull Kid. "Look, the flame on the platform's extinguished. And there's a hole on the ceiling that looks like the platform fits into. There's probably a correlation." He hoped onto the platform. It started to rise into the ceiling. Tael quickly flew after Skull Kid before the platform could get too far out of reach for him to rejoin Skull Kid. They ascended a tall shaft and finally reached a corridor. They walked down the corridor, unlocked the fire-sealed door at the end, and entered a big round room with blocks and a stairway leading to an elevated platform just behind and above the door with a treasure chest surrounded by a wall of fire. The room had a big hole in the middle. The hole was actually the inside of the pillar where Skull Kid had gotten the compass. This was the room he had seen from below. A switch was in front of him. Skull Kid stepped on it. The fire around the chest extinguished. A timer started ticking. Skull Kid knew he could either race up the narrow stairs and risk his life at the very edge of the top of the hollow pillar, over a drop that would kill him if he misstepped in an attempt to get to the chest before time ran out, or he could just hookshot to it. He chose to hookshot. He pulled himself to the chest, then ran around to the front and opened it before the timer could run out. Inside he found something really cool. It was a large, heavy metal hammer with the symbol of the Fire Medallion on the face of the hammer's blunt end. "Wow, what is it?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"It's the Gigaton Hammer! It's like the Megaton Hammer, but smaller and more powerful. It also weighs less. You can activate Goron Switches without having to change form, and when you slam it on the ground, it unleashes a wave of fire that melts any ice and burns anything in a twenty- foot radius." Said Tael.  
  
"Cool. This is definitely useful." Said Skull Kid grinning. "Now, how do we get back to the Ice side? There must be a shortcut. The old Fire Temple did."  
  
"Check your map." Suggested Tael.  
  
Skull Kid did. "Oh no! There is no shortcut! We'll have to walk all the way back to the Ice section." He was correct, of course. One hour later, he and Tael managed to make it back to the third floor of the Ice half, where they had started. Skull kid paused a moment to catch his breath. After that, he put on the Goron Mask and rolled over the bridge.  
  
When they got to the other side, he walked past the ice block, heading for the snow bank. "Aren't you going to melt the block?" asked Tael.  
  
"I will, but not until I melt the blocks on the first floor as well." He curled into a ball and rolled across the snow bank. When he reached the other side, he entered the door. He jumped down to the second floor (the pillar elevator had reset), took off the mask, and ran down the stairs to the first floor. He hopped to the pillar, then ran across the bridge to the main chamber, first floor. He ran across the pillar to the block that was straight across from the main door to the chamber and struck the block with the Gigaton Hammer. Nothing happened. "Tael, I thought you said this thing made waves of fire."  
  
"It makes waves of fire if you hit the ground."  
  
"Oh, right." He raised the hammer and brought it onto the ground. A wave of fire shot out, melting the block of ice. He walked in and entered a cave that curved around part of the main chamber. The other frozen door from the main chamber led to this room as well, but at the other end. It was a deep cavern with several pillars rising from the ground below. The floor extended to the 'basement' part of the temple. There was a door that led to the 'basement' of the main chamber and a frozen yellow Deku Flower that would provide access back to the rest of the room. The pillars were close enough together for Skull Kid to jump across them. Scattered around the pillars were three Freezards and three unlit braziers. Along the wall facing the main chamber, closer to the other frozen door, was a barred door on a ledge. Skull Kid figured he had to kill all the enemies in the room, or light the braziers, or both. So, he went to it. He hopped across the pillars towards the nearest Freezard. When he was in range for him to use the hammer, but just far enough away to avoid the Freezard's ice breath, Skull Kid hit the ground with his hammer. The Freezard was melted by the wave of fire. Skull Kid repeated the process with each Freezard then used the hammer to light the three braziers. When he was finished, the unfrozen door was unbarred. Skull Kid pillar-hopped over to the door and opened it. He was inside the caged alcove back in the main chamber, with the Goron switch. Skull Kid knew he could just transform into a Goron and slam it, but he had a different idea. He stepped onto the switch, raised his hammer, and smashed the switch into the floor. The entire temple shook as the giant pillar in the middle of the chamber rose from the ground, going all the way to the fifth floor, perfectly fitting in the gap between all the broken bridges. When it reached the gap on the fifth floor bridges, plugging it up, Skull Kid and Tael stared in amazement. "I…think it's time to melt that block on the third floor." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Yeah…yeah, let's go." Said Tael. Of course, this was easier said than done. The pillar's rising had blocked the bridges on the first floor from each other, meaning they couldn't just walk across to the room with the staircase to the second and third floors. Fortunately, after a moment of puzzling over the map, Skull Kid had a solution. They went back into the room they had entered from, the one with all the pillars, and jumped to the basement. Then they went through the door to the main chamber's basement. They skirted past the lava pools and made it to the staircase to the first floor. Once there, they easily made it to the room with the second floor staircase. Once on the second floor, Skull Kid stood on the platform and shot the eye switch, reactivating the lift. He then exited to the third floor. The pillar was now blocking the way to the Fire side and the Wizdancer's room, but there was nothing left there anyway. Skull Kid jumped into the net, walked over to the other side, and climbed out. He used the hammer to melt the ice block, revealing a staircase. Skull Kid ran up the stairs and found himself on the fourth floor. The pillar was still in the way. A normal brick bridge ran across to the pillar, stopping in front of it. Another brick bridge ran out to the pillar from a ledge with a door one- quarter of the way across the room to Skull Kid's right. A ledge with a snow bank led down to it. Skull Kid turned into a Goron and carefully rolled across the snow bank. When he reached the other side, he uncurled and pulled off the mask. "Hey Skull Kid, why don't you stay as a Goron?" asked Tael.  
  
"I don't know. I guess it's my imp nature. I prefer to be small and fast. Being a Goron is cool, but they're too slow." He looked up at the pillar and saw a covered bridge leading towards the pillar from the wall. It was directly across from the bridge he had entered on. He wondered how he could get there. It looked like the only way would be to lower the pillar somehow. He turned around and walked through the door. Inside was a small oblong room with several rock pillars. There were two weird snowman monsters, one big, the other little. Skull Kid recognized them as Eenos, yeti made of snow that hurled big snowballs. Of course, since they were made of snow that meant they were weak against fire. Before either Eenos could make a move, Skull Kid used his Gigaton Hammer to melt them both. At the other end of the room was a door frozen in a block of ice. He melted it and found a staircase. He walked up it to the fifth floor. He was in an irregularly shaped room with a pair of Dinolfos, the fire-breathing type. Skull Kid pounded the ground with his hammer, turning both Dinolfos into roasted lizard. He exited through the door at the other end of the room and found himself back in the main chamber. He was at the top. He could see the ceiling not too far above him, made of reflective ice. He was on a bridge leading to the top of the pillar, which bridged the gap to another bridge with a ledge going to the left. Straight ahead was a door. On the end of the ledge was another door, this one barred. Above him were two more bridges, at right angles to the one he was on now. He saw no way to reach those bridges. At least, not yet. A Goron switch was now on top of the pillar. Skull Kid headed across to the door, ignoring the switch. He would hit it later. He entered the room behind the door. It was rectangular, with two wooden platforms a person could climb up on. To Skull Kid's left was a barred door. Scattered throughout the room were five very familiar-looking platforms with fire spouting from the edges. "Oh no." said Skull Kid. Iron bars sealed the door behind him. A Flare Wizdancer popped out of one of the blue tiles and cackled. Skull Kid sighed. "Tael, I think I'm going to need your help on this one." Several minutes later, Skull Kid had disposed of the Wizdancer. Both doors opened. He went through the one on the left. He was in a small room with an ornate treasure chest. He opened it and found…the Boss Key! Now he could get into the chamber where the boss was and save the mountain! Of course, it would help if he actually knew where the boss room was. He exited through the door at the back of the room and was in the main chamber once again. He had an idea of what he had to do. He walked back over to the pillar top and stood on the Goron switch. He raised his hammer and smashed the switch into the ground. The temple rumbled again. The pillar lowered, stopping when its top was even with the bridges on the fourth floor. Skull Kid now had access to the covered bridge. It was full of snowballs, but he easily got rid of them using the hammer. At the back of the bridge was a stairway. He ran up it and found himself on the highest bridge in the temple, the one he had seen a little while ago. Straight across the gap was the other bridge, which ended in a ledge with an ominous-looking locked door. Skull Kid put on the Goron Mask, curled into a ball, and rolled across the bridge. He uncurled on the other side and pulled off his mask. He unlocked the door and went inside. He was in a large round chamber with a domed roof, covered with very sharp icicles. The room was like a huge track encircling a pool of lava. A fence to keep people from falling in surrounded the pool. Hanging above the pit by two chains descending from a single metal ring were two blocks of ice. Inside each block was a Goron. They looked quite similar. Skull Kid recognized the one with the longer beard as Darunia and the one with the shorter beard as Darmani. That meant Darmani was the next Sage, though he had already expected that. He wondered where Goht was, and how he was going to get the Gorons down.  
  
"Skull Kid?" Wait! Maybe he could use those new bombs as arrows like Tael had mentioned. "Skull Kid?" Yeah, he could blast out the supports on the chains suspending the blocks of ice. The lava would melt them, and they'd be saved! "Skull Kid?"  
  
Skull Kid sighed, losing his train of thought. "What is it Tael?"  
  
"Skull Kid, I think you should look to your right. Now."  
  
Skull Kid turned to his right. He wished he hadn't. Standing there was a thirty-foot tall beast, made of metal. It was like a giant, mechanical goat. Its belly was covered in brown plates, except for the middle of the chest, which was a mass of cables with a single gear at the front. Its back was covered in purple plates with a one, a zero, and another one painted onto each plate. Several spots on the back and sides were not covered with plates, and had gears sticking out. The joints connecting the legs to the body were more big purple plates. These plates had an empty spot in the middle with more gears. The plates behind the neck jutted out and had red bird-like symbols painted on them. The legs were a mix of brown plating, cables, and gears, with hooves made of iron. The plates just below the knee joints were red and had strange markings on them. The neck was covered with brown plates mixed with cables and a few gears from below, and covered by purple plates from above. Each neck and leg plate was jointed to allow flexibility in movement. Its head was the most intriguing part. First of all, even though it was a mechanical goat, it had horns like a bull. They were great, pointy horns, very strong. The head was shaped like a long red triangular wedge decorated with symbols. Above and between the horns was a large, yellow-red jewel set in the forehead. But most puzzling was the machine's face. Instead of being like that of a goat, it was like that of a human. It had a jutting purple chin, a mouth in an open frown, a hard nose, wrinkles, and angry, empty eyes. It was Goht, the mechanical monster, one of Majora's demons. Skull Kid backed away in fright, not sure how to begin the battle. He recalled Link saying that the first time he had fought Goht, he had done so as a Goron, but had used arrows on his second try. However, the door had no alcove for Skull Kid to hide in. He was about to put on the Goron Mask when he noticed something. The robot was not moving. It was just standing there, inanimate, like the hunk of metal it was. Skull Kid sighed in relief and walked over to the machine. "I think it's all right Tael, it's turned off or something."  
  
Tael sighed in relief as well. "I'm sorry, I just thought it was going to attack or something." He flew over it, looking at every nook and cranny. "Hey, I had a thought. If Goht is a demon, how can he be a robot?"  
  
"Good question. Majora didn't tell me during my possession, but I suspect Goht is actually more of a vehicle. The demon is the pilot that drives the machine. The Atlanteans have many robots that work that way as well."  
  
"Wow! I wonder if the Atlanteans have any robots to rival this."  
  
Skull Kid snorted derisively. "Better? From the stuff I saw in the history section, the Atlanteans have robots that would put this one to shame. The Atlantean war robots, hell, the Atlantean monsters that serve their army could reduce this machine to scrap."  
  
"Tell me about it." Grumbled a voice from behind them. Skull Kid and Tael whirled around to find a strange creature that hadn't been there before. It was short, only about as tall as Skull Kid's waist. And since Skull Kid was only as tall as your average ten-year-old was, that didn't say a lot for this creature's size. It actually looked a lot like a frog. It had muscular folded legs and a black pair of shorts. It was bare-chested and had what looked like ice crystals growing from its back. It had thick, muscular arms that reached to the ground. In its right hand was a trident. It had a short cape over its back. It had a large throat sac and a little goatee. It was pure white in color, with blazing blue eyes.  
  
"Um, hi, who are you?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I am Goht!"  
  
"No, that's Goht," said Tael, pointing to the huge inert robot goat behind them. "You're just a weird looking Gekko."  
  
The creature seemed to take offense to that. "I am no mere Gekko! I am a powerful demon, servant to Prince Majora himself!"  
  
"Oh." Said Skull Kid. He slowly and carefully reached for his holy dagger. "So you're the demon Goht? Then what's the thing behind me?"  
  
The demon paused. "All right, my name isn't Goht. I am the demon Quagmire, the one who built and controls Goht."  
  
"Why did you build him?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I was bored. I had already done all my torturing for the day and had nothing else to do. It started as a hobby, but eventually turned into an obsession. I wanted to build an invincible war machine, but couldn't. So I just built a really powerful one instead. When Prince Majora and his brothers were readying their invasion on the mortal worlds, I was selected because of my mechanical skills. When the mission in Termina failed, the Golden Goddesses made me one with my own machine, sealing both into a mask. When Majora finally returned with you as a host, he was able to partially free me from the mask, but I was still trapped inside the machine. Then your friend, that stupid mortal, managed to defeat me in my weakened state. He later exorcised me from the mask, sending me back to Hell. I was still trapped in the machine/mask, until the prince was restored to full power. I was then completely freed, along with the others who had been imprisoned." He grinned. "And I now stand before you, whole once again, along with my machine. It is now at full strength. Let me assure you, arrows will not damage it. You will not be able to use that tactic at all. My robot is almost invincible, and as soon as I kill you, I can put those Gorons back to work on mining the ore."  
  
"What do you want with the ore anyway?" asked Tael.  
  
"The ore will be used to upgrade Goht's armor, as well as build an army of other robots like him. Once this army is completed, we will be able to storm the continent of Atlantis."  
  
"How come Majora doesn't just go there and do it himself? Or maybe bombard them with meteors?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"The Atlantean continent is too well-defended. Not even a demon could manage to penetrate the defenses. They have hundreds of holy weapons with which to protect themselves from my kind. But once I am able to begin construction of the army, Atlantis will fall! And it won't take long either. I already almost have enough ore to build the army. It should only take a week or two to make."  
  
"Why have you just told us all of your evil plans?" asked Tael.  
  
"Because I'm about to kill you for trespassing in this temple, and for slaying Odolwa. And I want to boast my plans to somebody who doesn't already know them. Now, prepare to die!"  
  
"I don't think so!" yelled Skull Kid.  
  
He lunged at the demon, his dagger drawn. Quagmire leapt over Skull Kid and hopped onto the top of Goht. He opened a hatch on the top of the robot's head and climbed in. There were several noises, clanks and clunks and grinding. Then, the head shook from side to side. One of the hooves tapped the ground. The robot shuffled the ground, snorted, and charged! Skull Kid barely jumped out of the way of the robot's iron hooves. Quagmire laughed, his voice coming from Goht's mouth. "Well little imp, let's see how you like being trampled to pieces! Hahahahahaha!"  
  
1.1 GOHT/QUAGMIRE: DEMON-OPERATED MECHANICAL MONSTER  
  
Goht started running around the track in a counter-clockwise fashion. The machine was pretty fast, but would take a few minutes to make a complete lap. Skull Kid tried shooting an arrow, but Goht was too fast. He tried to think about what to do. He stood there, waiting for the machine to come by. When it came around the bend, Skull kid shot it with his crossbow. Goht did not react, showing the arrow had no effect. Goht responded to his attack by firing lightning bolts from its horns. Skull Kid was able to block them with his shield, but the robot kept firing. Skull Kid rolled out of the way of the goat's hooves, barely missing a small thunderbolt. Goht kept running. Skull Kid had an idea. He put on the Goron Mask, changing into a Goron. He curled into a ball and started running after Goht, picking up speed until he managed to spike out and match Goht's speed. As he caught up to the robot, he swerved under the legs and went right beneath the belly, trying to damage it with his spikes. Sparks shot out from the impact of metal on metal. "Heheheh. Your attack is nothing compared to my robot's armor! It is made from an alloy composed of brimstone and…what is this? You're actually causing damage! How is this possible? Argh! I knew I shouldn't have exposed those cables. Oh well, it's only superficial damage, and I know how to stop this!" Skull Kid immediately backed up, his spikes causing scars on the armor plating. He barely got out from underneath Goht before it stopped and slammed its belly into the ground. If Skull Kid's instincts hadn't told him to get out, he would have been crushed. But Quagmire had just given him a perfect opportunity to attack! He rolled forward, his spikes ready to inflict more damage. He could tell that the purple plating was not as strong as that of the brown, since the monster was too tall for an overhead attack unless one could fly or was in a tree. He smashed into it several times, causing it to buckle and dent. Since Goht was trying to get up, each blow from Skull Kid knocked it down again. Quagmire was confused and astonished. This pathetic imp had actually discovered a flaw in his defenses! He shouldn't have been overconfident and used stronger ore for the bottom plating. It was time for him to use one of his emergency measures. As Skull Kid backed away, ready to inflict another strike, A bomb dropped from a hatch on Goht's rear. As Skull kid raced towards the downed machine, he struck the bomb. It exploded, uncurling him. He groaned and held his head. It hadn't really hurt, but he had a fair- sized migraine. Goht got up. Just before it started running again, it kicked a large chunk of turf at Skull Kid, knocking him down. Goht started running faster than before, hitting the ground harder. The impact of his hooves on the ground shook the room, causing icicles to fall from the ceiling in his wake. As Skull Kid pulled himself up, he saw Goht coming right for him, its head down, its horns ready to gore him. Skull Kid stood up and waited for the monster. He had a plan, but he had to time it perfectly or he would die. He let his mind drift, allowing his instincts to take over. Under his instinct's guidance, he reared back his fist and punched, his mighty fist connecting with the goat's face, smashing it in. Goht stumbled back, wobbling. It staggered, its internal machinery malfunctioning as a result from the punch. Even Quagmire was hurt, for his cockpit was right behind the face. After staggering around for a few moments, Goht finally fell to the ground, its internal damage too great. As Quagmire frantically started up the auto-repair mechanism, Skull Kid climbed onto Goht and ran over to the panel he had damaged from before. He curled up and performed multiple Goron Pounds, denting and damaging the plate even more.  
  
Suddenly, Goht got back on its feet and continued running. The only thing that kept Skull Kid from falling off was that he managed to grab onto the edge of the heavily dented and wrecked plate, hanging on for his life as Goht ran around the room, dropping bombs and making more icicles drop. Skull Kid managed to pull himself up onto Goht's back. It was large enough for him to walk across. His Goron form's weight and mass didn't make it easy for him to be shaken off. He needed an inspiration. "Tael, got any ideas?"  
  
"Hey, maybe we could use some of those new bombs?"  
  
"Great idea! Let me change back." He pulled off the mask and almost fell down. He was now smaller, so his mass wouldn't keep him on balance. He fell onto hands and knees, gripping the armor. He took out one of the Atlantean bombs and slipped it into a crack between the plate he had damaged and the robot's innards. He crawled up the hull, looking for more joint spots to plant bombs. He found several seams in the armor, planting bombs at each crack. He found a spot to plant a bomb at the spot between the neck and the head. He was about to plant one, went he saw the hatch to the cockpit. And he suddenly had a much better idea of where to plant the bomb. He carefully crawled up the neck and climbed onto the head. This was the hardest place to stay on, since it shook the most. The stomping of Goht's hooves covering him, Skull Kid popped open the hatch.  
  
He looked down into the cockpit. It was a small, cramped place with several cables and flashing lights on the walls. Quagmire was sitting in a tiny chair in front of a screen that projected the picture of what could be seen through Goht's eyes in front of him. He was grumbling to himself. "Where could he have gone? I've made several rounds now. Where is he? He can't be fast enough to be right behind me, but not attack, can he? Then again, he could be slowed down by all of the things I've left for him. Maybe I should stop or turn around? No, no…" While the demon mused, Skull Kid considered stabbing him from behind, ending his threat, but decided the cockpit was too cramped for any attack. Instead, he planted the bomb on the inside of the hatch and closed it.  
  
He crawled back over to the robot's back and put on the Goron Mask. "Here we go…" he said to himself. He curled into a ball and rolled off Goht. He ricocheted off the wall, struck Goht on the side (causing it to wobble) and hit the ground. Goht kept running, still dropping bombs and icicles. Once the machine was far enough away (and the dropped bombs had exploded) he pulled off his mask, whipped out the remote, and pressed the button. All of the bombs on Goht simultaneously detonated, wracking the robot's body with explosions. The panels of armor on the robot's body were violently ripped off by the explosions, throwing them around. Stunned, Goht fell to the ground. However, there was no explosion from the cockpit. The head remained attached to the robot's body. "Tael! Why didn't the head come off?"  
  
"I told you that the remote detonates every bomb in the room you are in. the cockpit counts as a different room, so the bomb didn't explode. But look on the bright side! Now you can do major damage to the robot directly!"  
  
"Good point. I doubt a normal arrow will do the trick, but what about a Bomb Arrow?" he said, grinning. He pulled one of the bombs from his pack and affixed it to an arrow. Aiming with Tael's targeting, he shot the arrow across the lava pit, lodging between some gears. Skull Kid activated the remote, causing an explosion inside of the robot's inner workings. It thrashed for a few moments, but then got up! It came charging at Skull Kid, faster than ever before! Quagmire was really angry, and he was going to mow down Skull Kid! Skull Kid knew he had to think of something, for Goht would be there in a few seconds. Suddenly, he remembered how he had been able to use Odolwa's Mask, turning the insects against their master. He reached into the mask, pulled out Goht's Mask, and put it on. He concentrated, trying to activate whatever power it had. Goht was only yards away, ready to squash the impudent little imp. Skull Kid found the mask's power and focused on it. The horns on his mask glowed and crackled, firing a bolt of lightning at the robot. The robot reacted, swerving away from Skull Kid. Without the shockproof armor that Quagmire had installed, the monstrous machine was horrendously damaged by Skull Kid's lightning bolt. The robot was wracked with more explosions, the electrical current running through its entire body, making its way through the cables to the cockpit. Quagmire screamed in pain as the lightning coursed through his body and the entire cockpit. But it did more than just that. It also triggered the bomb Skull Kid had planted on the hatch. It exploded. The head was ripped from Goht's neck, careening through the air until it sank into the lava pool. The headless body of Goht ran around out of control. It smashed into a wall and kept running, even though it was going nowhere. All of its surplus bombs either dropped from their chute or explode in their holding container. Either way, the construct was wracked with explosions, causing the ceiling to cave in on it, burying the metal monstrosity. A moment later, the rocks were thrown away as what was left of Goht self-destructed. Skull Kid pulled off the mask and did a little victory dance. However, the dance was cut short when Quagmire leaped out of the lava pool and charged Skull Kid, screaming and waving his trident. Skull Kid pulled out his knife just as the demon reached him. He ran right into Skull Kid's knife, impaling himself. The demon gasped and fell to the ground, his body combusting into flames. Skull Kid finished his victory dance.  
  
"You da imp!" said Tael eagerly. They high-fived. Skull Kid mopped his brow, and not just because of the heat from the lava. That had been a very tough battle.  
  
"That was much harder than the fight with Odolwa. Well, it's time to wake up the Sages. Look! A portal thingy to the Temple of Light has opened. Tael, please target the base of the chains so I can blast them." Tael flew up to the metal ring. Skull Kid attached another bomb to an arrow and fired. The chains exploded, dropping the ice into the lava. A few minutes later, the two Gorons rose to the surface, spluttering and looking confused. "Over here!" yelled Skull Kid.  
  
The Gorons swam over to him and bashed the fence down. They walked over to Skull Kid. Darunia frowned. "You look familiar."  
  
"Yeah, haven't I seen you before?" asked Darmani.  
  
"My name's Skull Kid. You saw me a couple of weeks ago back in the Chamber of Sages."  
  
"Oh yeah! You're that imp who looked like he was dying of boredom." Said Darunia.  
  
"Like you weren't?" muttered Tael.  
  
Darunia frowned. Before he could retort, Darmani stopped him. "Hey, Brother, shouldn't we be heading to that Temple of Light place to reward this kid for all his hard work?"  
  
Darunia smiled. "Yeah, I forgot about that. Come on kid. Let's go." They walked into the portal, disappearing into the Sacred Realm.  
  
Skull Kid found himself in the Chamber of Sages once again. Rauru was on the Light platform, smiling and applauding. Saria and the Queen were not on their platforms. The platform next to it (which looked like a mix of the symbols for the Fire and Water Medallions) glowed as Darunia and Darmani appeared on it. Rauru grinned and stopped clapping. "Well done, m'boy. Well done indeed. You have accomplished half of your quest to save the Sages. Now, I believe your new friends would like to say something."  
  
Darunia cleared his throat. "I would like to personally thank you for freeing me and my 'brother' from staying frozen. You have saved my mountain and my people. Please, accept this Fire Medallion as my thanks." He raised his arms. There was a flash, high above. The Medallion twirled down.  
  
Skull Kid raised his hands in order to grab it. The Medallion missed his hands and hit him on the head. "Ow! That hurt!"  
  
"Oops. Sorry." Said Darunia. Skull Kid rubbed his forehead and picked up the Medallion from where it had landed. He examined it. It was red, with a Triforce symbol on one side and the Fire symbol on the other, like a red, three-toed claw. He stowed it away in his pack.  
  
Darmani coughed. "My 'brother' here has pretty much summed up my feelings on this. Thanks to you, the mountain, the Gorons of Hymina, and both of our sons are safe. How would you like to be my Sworn Brother?'  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Fine by me."  
  
"Great! Then as a symbol of our brotherhood, please accept this Ice Medallion." He tossed it into the air. Skull Kid caught it. He examined it. It was white, with a symbol of the Triforce on the back and a symbol of a delicate snowflake on the front. He put it away.  
  
Rauru got Skull Kid's attention. "Now that that's over with, let's get to business. Your next stop is Zora's Domain. The temples of Water and Great Bay have merged, forming Great Water Temple. There really isn't much history to tell you anymore. By now, you must have figured out that all the current Sages are the descendants of the temple builders. I'll just mention the Water Dragon, tell you where the Domain is, and send you back to Hymina. The Water Dragon's name was Aquarius, and was formed from water molecules. To find Zora's Domain, find a river and follow it to its source." Rauru raised his arms. "Good luck." There was a flash of light and then nothing.  
  
  
  
Another chapter in da bag! Will our heroes find Zoras Domain and save it from whatever evil is going down there? Find out! 


	7. Attack of the Madmen

I'm happy! I've gotten lots of reviews! I could always use more, so please keep reviewing!  
  
Disclaimer: Need I really say it?  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Skull Kid and Tael rematerialized outside of the temple. The Terminan Biggoron was surprised at their reappearance, but quickly recovered. "Wow! You did it! That big cloud thingy is gone, and the snow's stopped! Nice job!'  
  
Skull Kid blushed. "Thanks. How do I get to the city?"  
  
"The wormhole/tunnel thing is right over there. Thanks for waking me up and saving the mountain and everything."  
  
"Your welcome." Skull Kid walked over to the tunnel. Before he entered, he put on the Goron Mask so he could pass for one of them. Then he entered the passage. He soon arrived in Darunia's throne room. He walked outside into the main part of the city to see lots of Gorons and Lizalfos walking around. They seemed a bit edgy. Skull Kid decided he could remedy that. "Hey!" he bellowed at the top of his Goron lungs. Everyone in the city turned around. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have great news. The snow has stopped! A little imp managed to infiltrate the temple and defeated the demon that caused this early winter. The Sages are free but can't come home for a while. The mountain is safe. It took a few seconds for this to register, but a moment later they started cheering.  
  
A female Goron spoke up. "I suggest we have a feast to celebrate this victory!"  
  
All of the Gorons and most of the Lizalfos cheered. However, a few of them seemed concerned. One of them spoke up. "Um, excuse me, but I have a question."  
  
The cheering stopped. The female Goron frowned. "Yes, what is it?"  
  
"Well, it's just…didn't we have a feast yesterday?'  
  
"Yes, it was a celebration in honor of the snow. What's your point?"  
  
"And the day before that, we had another feast?"  
  
"Yes, in celebration of our freedom from the cavern by that imp we never got to meet, who was probably the same imp that stopped the snow. What's your point?"  
  
"Well, did you have any feasts before the demon came?"  
  
All of the Gorons pondered that. "Well, let's see…oh! On the day the demon arrived, we were having a feast to celebrate the merging of the two lands!"  
  
"Yeah, and the night before that, we were having a feast in honor of how the sky didn't have any clouds!"  
  
"And the day before that, we had a feast to celebrate the teams that made it to the Super Roll and the ones that didn't!"  
  
"And the day before that, we had a feast to celebrate some birthday's!"  
  
"Yeah, and…"  
  
The Lizalfos interrupted. "This is my point. Doesn't it bother anyone that you Gorons have a feast every day for some reason or another?"  
  
The Gorons pondered this, then decided they didn't have a problem with that. Leaving the poor Lizalfos confused, everyone else eagerly started preparations for the feast. In a few hours, little flags were hanging all over the place, and food was prepared. The awesome Goron chefs had prepared several pieces of rock sirloin, marble cake, rock fish, granite pie, quartz pudding, pebbles n' rice, flint lasagna, bomb flower seeds, and rocky road ice cream. For drinks, they had lava juice and Goron Beer. The Lizalfos didn't need chefs, they just got a lot of raw meat and prepared to eat it. As several huge tables were set up, Gorons and Lizalfos gathered around as food was put in front of them. Of course, they had to say prayers first. So they did. Everyone yelled, "PRAYER!" and immediately began to gorge themselves.  
  
Skull Kid hanged by the drink table, observing the eaters. He saw that neither Gorons nor Lizalfos had any difference when it came to table manners. Specifically, they had no table manners whatsoever. He chuckled and decided to take a drink. He looked at his options. He could either try lava juice or Goron Beer. He turned to Tael. "Hey, you want a drink too?"  
  
"Yeah, but I don't think I can survive lava juice. I'm old enough to drink, just give me a thimbleful of Goron Beer."  
  
"I think I'll take some beer too. I'm over a thousand years old, that should make me old enough." Skull Kid looked around the table, but there were no cups, only big mugs. He found a medium-sized rock on the ground. Despite his Goron stomach, which told him to eat it, he picked it up and placed it on the table. Using his pinky, he carved an indentation into it. He poured some Goron Beer into it, then poured a mug for himself. They toasted (basically, Skull Kid tapped his mug against Tael's mug), said "Skaol!" and drank a tiny sip to start, figuring it wouldn't do any harm.  
  
Skull Kid groaned and woke up. He started to get up, until he discovered the inside of his head was exploding. He lied down again, holding his forehead in pain. It was like a headache, but worse than any headache he had ever had. It was even worse than a migraine! What had happened? He tried to remember what had happened after he took that sip of beer, but he couldn't see anything but blackness in his mind. He looked to his side and saw a female Goron in bed next to him, also asleep. She appeared to be the same one that had declared the feast. Even though his mind was blacked-out and amnesia-ridden at the moment, it was relatively simple for him to put two and two together. He suddenly realized what he must have been doing last night, and why there was a female Goron next to him. He screamed, waking her up. Startled, she screamed. He screamed. She screamed. He screamed. She screamed. He screamed. She screamed. He screamed. She screamed. Tael, glowing a purple so dull it was almost black, flew out of Skull Kid's hat. "WHAT THE $# (% IS GOING ON!??!! I AM TRYING TO GET SOME SLEEP YOU @$$*&^)$! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………….my aching head….." he fell onto the bedrock, unconscious.  
  
Skull Kid, still clutching his head, tried to stammer out an apology. "Miss, I-I-I-I-I'm very…very sorry…If I did anything to you last night…I mean…um…uh…er…I'm, uh, sorry…"  
  
The female blinked. "What are you talking about? You didn't do…Oh! Oh, I see. No, no, you didn't do anything like that, dearie!"  
  
Skull Kid blinked. "But then why…the bed…the beer…you…Wha?" he said, completely confused.  
  
She chuckled, making his head hurt. "I see this is the first time you've drunken alcohol, isn't it? With Goron Beer, the first time is always the worst. I couldn't tell you how many times Darunia has come in after drinking too much. I guess our beer is a little too strong, but…" she shrugged. "In any case, all that happened last night is that you and you're friend drank a little too much and ran around the city without your pants on." Skull Kid gulped. "Of course, it was no big deal. The same thing happens to all the first timers, and we don't wear any clothes anyway, so you didn't show anything that the rest of us don't see every single day. You kept screaming how the white frog and the green half-naked man were chasing you. After you fell unconscious, I volunteered to take you home and help you recover. Since I don't have a guest cave, and you wouldn't fit in Little Link's bed, I had to let you use mine. You are suffering from a hangover, a result of the beer. Your friend is also suffering. Since he's way smaller than you, a little sip affected him a lot harder than it did you."  
  
"How much harder?"  
  
"He thought he was a woman." Skull Kid shuddered. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Direa, Big Sister of the Gorons."  
  
"Oh, you're Darunia's wife!"  
  
"And you aren't a Goron, are you?"  
  
Skull kid was surprised. "How did you know?"  
  
"The way you carry yourself, the way you move, the way you talk, it is not the way of the Goron. You are something else in Goron form. Am I correct in assuming that you are the imp that saved our mountain?"  
  
"Yes, but how…"  
  
"When your husband is a Sage, some of his powers start to rub off on you. Now, would you and your friend like some medicine to make your heads feel better?"  
  
Skull kid started to nod, but it hurt too much. "Yes ma'am."  
  
"Good. I'll bring you the medicine along with breakfast. Be back in a few minutes." She returned with a metal tray, loaded with several pieces of rock sirloin and a bowl with a strange liquid in it. She placed it on the bedrock. "Give your friend a little of the liquid and drink the rest. Come down to the kitchen when you've finished eating and washed up." She left.  
  
Skull Kid gingerly picked Tael up and dipped him in the bowl. A few seconds later, he woke up, his glow returning to normal. "Hunh? Wha? What happened?"  
  
Skull Kid picked up the bowl and swallowed its contents in one gulp, immediately feeling better. "Nothing important. I'll tell you after I finish eating. He greedily devoured the pile of rock sirloin.  
  
Tael looked disgusted. "Ew. I would throw up, if I didn't already feel like I've thrown up everything I've ever eaten in my entire life." Skull Kid finished breakfast, took a lava bath, and brushed his teeth. He told Tael what had happened last night (neglecting to tell that Tael had thought he was a woman) and headed to the kitchen. Little Link was at the kitchen table, finishing his breakfast. He let out a large belch and ran to his room to do his homework. Tael frowned. "Don't you Gorons have any"  
  
Skull Kid quickly grabbed Tael, shutting him up before he could say something rude. Direa, who had been cooking her own breakfast, turned around. "Do we Gorons have what?"  
  
Skull Kid quickly thought up something. "Er, do you Gorons have, uh, any way down the mountain that doesn't take a few days?"  
  
She smiled. "Sure. Look for a tunnel in the main city with the words, 'Kakariko Village' written on the top. Tell the guard I sent you. Will you be wanting anything else?"  
  
Skull Kid shook his head. "No thanks. You've been generous enough. Is there any way I can…"  
  
Direa laughed. "You're asking if there's any way you can repay us? It's more the other way around, dear. You saved all our lives. We owe you a huge debt. You owe us nothing. This hospitality will only fill a small part of that debt. Is there anything we can do to help?"  
  
"Well, nothing I can think of."  
  
She nodded. "Well get going! I'm sure you've got to go save other places, correct? Now that my Sworn Brother-in Law Link and Sworn sister-in-law Zelda are captured, you're the new hero, aren't you? Go, go. You've probably got a deadline or something. So get going already!"  
  
Skull Kid nodded and ran for the front door. "Thank you!"  
  
"Don't mention it!" she yelled after him.  
  
Once they were far enough away, Skull Kid let go of Tael, who fluttered apologetically. "Sorry, Skull Kid. Guess I've still got a little headache or something."  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "Or maybe you're becoming more like your sister. Come on." After wandering up and down the city's levels, they found the right tunnel. A stern-looking Goron lay in front of the tunnel.  
  
He stood up as they approached. "I'm sorry, but you can't get through without proper authorization." He said.  
  
"But Big Sister Direa said we could!" complained Tael.  
  
"She did? Oh, never mind then. You can go through." He shuffled away from the tunnel. "By the way, I suggest you curl up before going down the tunnel."  
  
"How come?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Just do it, okay?" Skull Kid nodded and curled up.  
  
He rolled into the tunnel and immediately saw why he needed to be a ball for this. The tunnel was essentially a long, long, long slide. He teetered on the edge before falling. He wailed as he fell, hitting the slope beneath him. He rolled down the slide, picking up speed before eventually spiking out. He continued down the tunnel at maximum speed, following its many twists and turns and bends and curves. After a few hours of rolling, he was really enjoying himself. This was great fun! And then he saw the wall. He tried to hit the brakes, but he didn't stop in time. He ran right into the wall, uncurling. He lay there for a moment, groaning before getting up. He looked in front of him and saw a short staircase going up into a hatch. He walked up the stairs and entered the hatch. He took off the mask and looked around in surprise. He appeared to be in a storeroom of some kind. A door opened and a large, burly man came in. He double-took when he saw Skull Kid, dropping his supplies in shock. "Who-who are you? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh, um, I was just looking for the bathroom."  
  
The man frowned. Didn't you read the sign in the front window, kid? You can't use the bathroom unless you're going to buy something. Now, do you plan to buy anything?"  
  
"Well, can I see what you have?"  
  
"Sure, just come up front." A few moments later, Skull Kid was in the front of the store, with the shopkeeper/owner leaning over the counter. "So, what can I get you? I have arrows, bombs, Deku sticks, Deku nuts, Hylian Shields, and Recovery Hearts. Does any of that interest you?"  
  
Skull Kid paused. "You know, I think I'll take ten bombs and ten arrows."  
  
"Great! Here you go. That'll be eighty rupees."  
  
Skull kid was shocked. "Eighty rupees? That's highway robbery!"  
  
The storeowner shrugged. "Take it or leave it."  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "I don't have change, and I doubt you do either. Just take this." He handed over a thousand rupees.  
  
The Bazaar man stared in shock. "Hey, aren't you that imp that bought bombs from me earlier this week?" Skull Kid nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. It's just, well, oh forget it. Take them for free. The thousand rupees you gave me last time pays for it."  
  
Skull Kid took back the rupee and put away his new ammo. "Thank you. By the way, why do the Gorons have a tunnel in your storeroom?'  
  
He shrugged. "It's the easiest and fastest way to get bombs. They manufacture em', I buy em', I sell em' to the populace. They have the same deal with my cousin in Castle Town. They have a tunnel to there as well. Thank you for your business, and please come again."  
  
Skull Kid nodded and left. He turned to Tael. "In these dark days, it's refreshing to see a man who actually turns down a thousand rupees isn't it?"  
  
Tael agreed. "Yeah, these Hylians are pretty good people. Most of the time." He frowned. Hey, what's going on over at the Astral Observatory/Impa's House? There's a big crowd and it looks like there are some people at the top of the building."  
  
"Hmm…maybe we should take a look." They walked over to the house, squeezing through the large crowd surrounding it. The Poes were circling the observatory tower, unsure what to do. "What's going on?" Skull Kid asked one of the onlookers.  
  
The man didn't notice him outright, but still responded. "There are a small group of terrorists up there! They're holding hostages, and they look like they mean business. They also seem like a bunch of loonies."  
  
"How many are there?" asked Tael.  
  
"Only two, but they're really dangerous. One of them flies from a balloon on his back and keeps demanding a fairy. The other one is that scary guy who lives in the windmill. He keeps demanding some ten-year old in green. Mayor Impa isn't sure what to do. The terrorists are threatening to kill the hostages if we attack them or if their demands are not met. Look, there's the balloon guy now!" said the pedestrian, pointing up.  
  
The crowd looked up at the terrorist. He was a little man in green, with a face that frightened children and small animals. He had a little beard and a big red nose, as if he had been drinking a lot. His green clothes were really more of a rubber jumpsuit, with a pointy top. He wore a watch around his neck, had red underwear that he was wearing on the outside of his pants. He had a blue backpack with a large red balloon growing from the back, suspending the man. He had a crude propeller rigged up so that he could fly wherever he wanted. He had a pen in one hand and a cardboard- enforced paper in the other. He was constantly scribbling on the paper, looking up from time to time. He flew right over the crowd, then dropped the piece of paper, which wafted down to earth. It was grabbed by a Poe, who looked at it for a moment before speaking to the crowd. "He says, 'Where is my fairy? I want my fairy! Why don't I have my fairy? Tingle is a forty-five year-old Kokiri, but still has not received a fairy! I want my fairy, I want my fairy, and I want my fairy! Ooh, is that Tingle's fairy now? No wait, that's just a bird. Stupid bird! Die die die! Uh, where was I? Oh yes! Tingle wants his fairy! Waaahhh! Waaahhh! Waaahhh! Oh, and funny bald man say that if demands are not met by sundown, hostages will die! Heeheehee! Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah! Signed, Tingle.'" The Poe looked up. "That is exactly what he said. It's true folks. This guy is insane." The crowd started murmuring. Then they heard a horrible, evil, despicable noise.  
  
"Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah!" Tingle flew down from on high, gazing upon the crowd, making a beeline for Skull Kid and Tael. "What's this? A fairy? At last, at last, Tingle's fairy has come! Come to Tingle, little fairy!" He flew down to Skull kid and Tael. "He turned to Skull Kid. "Mr. Bird- face, my fairy is on your hat. Do you mind if I take him?"  
  
Skull Kid flinched, backing away from tingle's rancid breath. "I'm sorry mister, but this isn't your fairy. He's mine, see? His name is Tael. Isn't that right Tael?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm Skull Kid's fairy and no one else's." said Tael a little uneasily.  
  
Tingle frowned. "But of course you are my fairy! You have to be! And even if you are not…" He suddenly pulled a bottle from his backpack, caught Tael in it, and stuffed it back into his backpack in one swift move. "…Then I will make you mine! Tingle, Tingle, Kooloo-Limpah!" He started to fly away. Skull Kid was stunned, unable to move because of his disbelief. The Poes flew up to attack the freak, but Tingle threw dagger-pointy pens at them, stabbing them through the heart. Stunned, the injured ghosts fell to the ground.  
  
Skull Kid recovered. He had to save Tael! He pulled out his crossbow and ran after Tingle. As he ran, he tried to aim. It wasn't going to be easy without any Z-Targeting, but he didn't have a choice. He considered shooting at Tingle himself, since killing terrorists wasn't against the law. He raised his crossbow and fired. The first shot missed. The second shot hit Tingle, but bounced off of his rubber jumpsuit. The third shot was true, popping the balloon. Tingle screeched and fell to the ground. He didn't move. Skull Kid ran over and pulled Tael's bottle from the creep's backpack, setting Tael free. Tael kind of hugged him. "Oh thank you Skull Kid! I thought that freak was going to do horrible perverted things to me or something!"  
  
"It's okay Tael, it's okay. You're safe now. That sicko is dead and will never bother anyone again." The crowd applauded, then gasped. Skull kid turned around and saw that Tingle had gotten up! He was still alive! "How, how are you still alive?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
The madman cackled. "It will take more than a hundred foot fall to kill this Kokiri! Give me my fairy!"  
  
"No! I don't want to be your fairy! Go away!" yelled Tael, hiding behind Skull Kid's hat.  
  
Tingle scowled. If you will not be Tingle's fairy, then I will have to kill you like I did the others! DIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"  
  
He leapt at Skull Kid, trying to bite him with his horrible, probably diseased teeth. Skull Kid deflected him with his Mirror Shield, preparing his knife. Tingle kept lunging, barking and running on all fours. When he lunged again, Skull kid tried stabbing him with the knife, but to no avail. Since it wasn't a straight thrust, it just slipped off of Tingle's suit. Getting an idea, he whacked Tingle in the head with his shield. It didn't even faze him. Since Tael was too scared to go anywhere near Tingle, Skull Kid couldn't target him. He would just have to improvise. He backed away from Tingle, trying to lead him into the graveyard, where he was very sure, the zombies and Impa could restrain him. He started to run. Tingle gave pursuit, throwing more dagger-sharp pens. When Skull Kid began to outrun Tingle, Tingle used his secret weapon. The insane man pulled a razor-edged map from his backpack and hurled it at Skull Kid. Tael warned Skull Kid, who ducked just in time. However, he had to duck again, for the map immediately came flying back. It was some sort of boomerang. Skull Kid turned to face Tingle and kept his shield up, moving slower as he walked backwards. Tingle caught up and went back to lunging. Skull Kid kept backing up down the path, luring the madman to the graveyard. Tingle was so intent on killing that he couldn't see where he was being led. Finally, they reached the graveyard's archway. Skull Kid put down his shield and ran through the archway. Tingle lunged, about to get Skull kid by the neck. Fortunately, the Redeads erupted from the ground, snatching Tingle in midair. Skull Kid turned around and grinned. "Nice job guys. I think you should take this one to Impa. But be careful, he bites." The Redead grunted in acknowledgement and headed for the Shadow Temple. Tingle screamed and kept reaching back at Skull Kid and Tael the entire way, foaming at the mouth. Shaking his head, Skull Kid ran back to the village. The crowd was waiting expectantly. "Tingle has been captured and will face justice. I will now go into the building and free the hostages from the other terrorist. The crowd cheered softly so a snot to alert the other madman. Skull Kid went inside of Impa's house and climbed up the ladder to the observatory. Once inside, he carefully snuck up the stairs, listening for any voices. He heard them.  
  
An elderly voice said, "Please, why are you doing this?"  
  
A twitchy, high voice answered. "Because, go around, I want that, go around, kid who messed up my windmill! Go around!"  
  
"Which kid?" asked another voice.  
  
"I just, go around, told you which kid, go around! The one that, go around, messed up my windmill! Go around!"  
  
"Ugho ugo ugoh?"  
  
"What did he say? Go around?"  
  
"He was asking what the kid looked like."  
  
"Oh, go around, now I see, go around. It was that, go around, kid in green clothes! Go around! How I hate him! Go around! When I get him, I'll, go around, tear him apart! Go around! Where is, go around, Tingle? Go around?" Skull Kid decided to make his move. He ran to the top of the stairs, surveying the situation. Professor Shigashi, Gabora, and Gubora were tied to the base of the telescope with extra-thick wires so Gubora couldn't break free. Their antagonist was the most demented man in all Hymina, nay, the entire world. The deranged windmill guy. He had his phonograph and hand crank attached as usual. His baldheaded head shone in the surreal lights of the Observatory. His eyes twitched and looked from side to side. He immediately noticed Skull Kid. "You! Go around! What are you, go around, doing here? I told everyone to, go around, stay away or, go around, the hostages would get it!"  
  
Skull Kid stood firm. "I captured your accomplice and I will do the same to you. Your short reign of chaos has come to an end. Let these people go. Now."  
  
"Or you'll do what? Go around?"  
  
"Something you'll regret."  
  
The windmill man snorted. "We'll see about that, go around. Face my attack, go around!" He grabbed the crank on his phonograph and turned it at high speed. The phonograph started playing the Song of Storms. A storm cloud formed over his head, dark and crackling with electricity. As the windmill guy kept cranking, the cloud shot a lightning bolt at Skull Kid. He blocked with his shield. The cloud tried again, and again, and again. The lightning could not get through Skull Kid's shield, but he knew he needed to do something if he wanted to defeat this madman. He got an idea. He listened carefully to the tune of the Song. Still blocking, he pulled his flute from his pack. He listened carefully, then backflipped, jumping down the stairs, away from the cloud. Once he was out of range, he waited until he could hear the windmill guy stop playing. Once he did, he ran back upstairs. The man was surprised. "So, go around, you return for another dose of lightning? Go around?" He started playing the Song of Storms. Skull Kid began to play the same song on his flute. When the cloud formed, it paused, seeming confused, before drifting towards Skull Kid. In fact, his playing on the flute was making it bigger. Skull Kid wracked his brain, trying to think of a plan. Then he got one. He started to play the song backwards, creating the Inverted Song of Storms. The storm cloud stopped, beginning to shriek. The windmill guy fiercely turned the crank on his phonograph, speeding up the music. The cloud started to grow again, despite Skull Kid's frantic playing. Then Tael joined in as well. With the flute and the jingling combined, the cloud steadily shrunk. Desperate, the windmill guy turned the crank faster and faster, until it didn't sound like a song at all, but some horrible distorted sound. The cloud vanished. Angrily, the windmill guy tried to stop cranking, but found that the phonograph was still playing! He tried to turn the crank the other way, but only end up hurting himself. The phonograph began to sizzle and shake. Frightened, he pulled the phonograph from his back and hurled it away. It struck the ground, exploding into a million pieces. He gaped and looked at the imp who had defeated him.  
  
Skull Kid grinned. "Game over, deranged windmill guy. Game over."  
  
Majora sighed in contentment. Life as future ruler of this world was good. He had just finished a refreshing mud bath and was now sitting on his throne, having his toe-claws clipped. His throne was carved from a single block of jade and was in the shape of a large flame. On either side of the throne were the crystals holding his "guests", who were thoroughly grossed out at having to watch his claws being clipped. His throne room was fairly simple, done in the design of the chamber where he had fought Link as Majora's Mask. It was overall blue, with patterns of flowers on the floor and strange markings on the wall, large colored circles, each with four intersecting petals. The wall behind the throne was the largest design, a multicolored pattern, like a sun with six twisting rays. He had cast a spell to make it seem the walls were enshrouded in colored mist. He had made the pillars and vaulted ceiling to add to the room's imposing nature. He wasn't sure why he chose flower patterns. Perhaps he had a little of his father's green thumb in him. The door to the room was on the far side, right across from his throne. The beings doing his claws and attending him were his servants, creatures called darklings. They were creatures born of shadow, made of shadow. They had the form of your average humanoid. They had three fingers for each hand, and blazing red eyes. The eyes were the only distinguishing features of the darklings. Aside from the eyes, they had no real features at all. Their bodies were solid black, as would befit a shadow. They were created by Majora and served his every mental whim. As a single darkling clipped his claws, another entered bearing a large dish, the demon's lunch. On the dish was a mass of huge, wriggling grubworms, a favorite of Majora. The grubworm was his favorite dish, aside from fries. Then again, who didn't like fries? Even Majora's father liked them. As the darkling approached its master, it kneeled, holding the huge plate on its back. Majora eagerly snatched clawfuls of grubworms, stuffing them down his throat with a sickening swish. His prisoners, Zelda, Link, and the fairies Navi and Tatl all stared in disgust as Majora stuffed the giant worms down his throat. He finished the dish in less than a minute, let out a disgusting belch, and sent the darkling away. A moment later, another entered. Majora frowned. "I didn't order anything else. What do you want?"  
  
The darkling bowed. "Master Majora, I am terribly sorry for interrupting, but…"  
  
"Yes, what is it?"  
  
"The Great Ganondorf wishes to speak with you via hologram. He claims it is quite urgent."  
  
"Good slave. You may go now." The darkling bowed to the ground and left.  
  
Majora closed his eyes and mentally unlocked the seal he had placed around his moon to prevent being scanned or spoken to by certain parties. A hologram of Ganondorf appeared in the middle of the room. He saluted, then spoke. "Mighty Majora, I fear we have a problem down on Hymina."  
  
The demon frowned. He sent the darkling who had finished doing his claws away, wishing this conversation to be private (well, except for his prisoners). "How do you mean, Ganondorf?'  
  
"Have you looked at Death's Head Mountain or the Mysterious Woods lately?"  
  
Majora mentally looked down onto Hymina, gazing upon the forest and the mountain. He was astonished. "They have been restored to normal! Someone has defeated two of my generals and freed the imprisoned Sages!"  
  
Ganondorf nodded. "Exactly."  
  
"When did this happen?"  
  
"I'm not sure how long the forest has been restored, but I remember seeing the mountain covered in snow when I looked out my window before going to bed at nine o' clock last night."  
  
"You go to bed that early?"  
  
"Well, we Gerudo tend to fall asleep early and wake up before dawn. We are thieves, after all. Skulking in the darkness is part of our way of life."  
  
Majora pondered. "Only a powerful warrior could defeat my generals. But if Link is safely locked up here, then who is behind this?"  
  
"That's the other reason I called. It does seem like a new hero has arisen."  
  
Majora slammed his fist on his throne's armrest, cracking it. "A curse on my aunt! She must have found a loophole in her own universal laws that allowed her to train a new hero for this purpose!"  
  
"That's what I thought, too. Do you have any suggestions on how I should handle the situation?"  
  
"Hmm…have your spies watch for anyone traveling on Hymina Field. Look for anything suspicious. If they spot anything, report to me immediately and I will bombard the area where the person was sighted. To ensure destruction, I will bombard the area sighted for a Radius of ten miles. Is there a problem with that?"  
  
Ganondorf shrugged. "No, not really."  
  
"Excellent. Of course, we don't want any slip-ups. Use something that flies at high speed and doesn't lose energy quickly. A Guay would work."  
  
Ganondorf nodded. "I'll get right on it." The hologram faded away.  
  
Majora looked to his prisoners. "I don't suppose you could tell me who's down there, could you? No, of course you can't." He chuckled to himself, then paused. He had a thought. The only person who might have had a chance at stopping him would actually be that Skull Kid whom he had fried almost two weeks ago. But he was dead, so there was nothing to worry about. Unless…he shook it off. Now he was just being paranoid. His aunt wouldn't go to all the trouble of pulling a single imp out of the way of death. He had nothing to worry about. He was Majora, Demon Emperor of Garaton, soon to be emperor of more than that. True, nobody else on the planet aside from the Hyminans knew of his existence, but soon that would all change. He grinned evilly in anticipation. "Darklings! Bring me more food. Your esteemed master is still hungry for more grubworms!"  
  
Skull Kid whistled to himself as he walked across Hymina Field, following the path of the river to its source. His pack was loaded with supplies and a few other things. For his bravery in capturing the terrorists, Impa had greatly rewarded him with a solid gold medal. Professor Shigashi had given Skull Kid a three-dimensional holographic map of the solar system, which was magically oriented with the real planets so it showed where each world was in its rotational cycle. Of course, it was reprogrammed to show the planets of this solar system instead of the ones in Termina's old dimension. As for Gabora and Gubora, they had sharpened and improved Skull kid's knife for free, elongating it into a dagger and adding gold dust to it to increase its cutting power. Skull Kid was surprised they had managed to do it though. Since the knife had been made by the Goddess of Time herself, he wouldn't have expected the knife to have room for improvement. Either she had given him a poor knife, or she had intentionally left room for somebody to improve on it. It was probably the second option. He continued to whistle as he followed the river. He was pretty cheerful because he was now ready for whatever dangers the field could throw at him. He had food, a tent, and plenty of Stalchild repellent. He wasn't going to have any trouble when night came. He was correct. All he had to do was set up his tent just before sundown and sprinkle a little of the dust he had been given on the ground to keep the skeletons away. He passed two nights in this fashion before reaching the banks of the River Zora. He knew the area was Stalchild safe, so he thought he would have no problem. He was wrong. The river was now infested with Octorocks, which he had to keep fending off with his trusty shield. After a long trek across several land bridges and normal ones, fighting off hordes of Octorocks and Blue Tektites, he finally reached his destination: the waterfall, the source of all the freshwater in the land. From what he remembered, Skull Kid knew that the waterfall came straight from Zora's Fountain, the source of the source of the land's water. Nobody was sure how the water kept springing up from Zora's Fountain, since the bottom of the fountain was nothing but dirt. Therefore, the waters probably originated from the fountain by some form of magic. Skull Kid climbed up the several land bridges in front of the waterfall before standing on a plaque, facing a well-concealed door behind the waterfall. He didn't know the song of the Royal Family that would allow him to pass through the door, but he suddenly noticed that wouldn't be a problem. For some reason, the water wasn't coming down the waterfall in its usual great droves. Skull Kid had also noticed the current of the water was moving fairly sluggishly, which had allowed all of the Octorock and Tektites to spawn in such great numbers. He took a closer look at the water and noticed it didn't seem as clear as usual, either. How very odd. He was sure he would find answers once he saved the Zoras. He backed up to the edge of the bridge and took a running leap towards the door, just grabbing onto the bottom edge of the door. He pulled himself up and ran into Zora's Domain.  
  
What has happened to the Zoras? Why is the water slower and not as clear? I could act all suspenseful, but I'm SURE you know why the water is that way. Well, see you next time. 


	8. Giant octopi and a ranch

Hi everyone. Another fun chapter coming right up!  
  
Disclaimer: yawn.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Skull Kid entered the caverns that made up Zora's Domain. He immediately started shivering. What the? Didn't I get enough of this freezing stuff back at Death's Head? He looked around, immediately seeing what was wrong. It was snowing. Indoors. The water in the cave was completely frozen. Remembering how Link had said that in the dark future, the Zoras had been trapped beneath the ice, he expected them to be like that now. It wasn't. In fact, it was much worse. The Zoras were sitting on the ice, looking even colder than Skull Kid. Their fins were completely blue. The woman and child Zoras were having a much rougher time than the males. Even so, they all looked miserable. Since they were fish people, winter hit them harder than it did most other species. Water is usually pretty cold, so they don't mind a little coolness, but ice was bad for them. Skull Kid wasn't happy with this. The Kokiri, Deku, and Gorons had been forced to work in harsh conditions. But the demon in charge here was being exceptionally cruel, torturing the Zoras with ice instead of putting them to work. Skull Kid looked around the main cavern, trying to see the monsters (literally) that were keeping the Zoras on the ice. He immediately spotted several Octorocks scattered around the room in all the higher tunnels. There were a few Bigocto on the main pool as well, near the edges. They seemed to have no trouble with the cold. In fact, they seemed to enjoy it. This was enough proof for Skull Kid that none of the monsters here were slaves. All were bad. He was a bit surprised that the Octorocks were comfortable on land and in the snow and ice. He would have thought that the Octorock would be freezing like the Zoras. He watched as a male Zora slowly stood up. Skull Kid watched. The Zora paused, then made a run for the unguarded tunnel that led to the Zora Shop, went through several passage ways, and finally ended up on the ledge Skull Kid was on. The Octorocks immediately noticed him from their various vantage points around the Domain. They squealed, signaling the Bigoctos. The Octorocks spat rocks at the Zora, who used the slipperiness of the ice to his advantage, sliding out of the way of the rocks. Unfortunately, the Bigoctos used the ice to their advantage as well. They quickly spun across the cave, aiming for the Zora. As they drew in close, he activated his bioelectric force field, breaking the rocks and stunning the Bigocto. Unfortunately, they quickly recovered. However, he was almost to the tunnel. Despite their flexibility in squeezing, the Bigoctos would never fit in there. But just as the Zora almost made it, the Bigoctos did something unbelievable. They spat rocks. That wasn't possible, though. Everyone knew that Octorocks spat rocks, while Bigocto span into enemies. They had been changed somehow. The poor Zora didn't make it. He hadn't known that these Bigocto could spit rocks, and he got hit in the back by four veritable boulders. He fell. His blood started to spread across the ice, quickly freezing. The Bigocto slid over to the Zora and crowded around his body. Loud slurping and tearing noises could be heard. When they slid away ten minutes later, back to their posts, there was nothing where the Zora had been but a red stain. Skull Kid was horrified and disgusted. He saw an Octorock at the edge of the ledge he was on, unaware of his presence. Good. His blood boiling, Skull Kid slipped on the Stone Mask and walked up behind the octopus. He shoved it off the ledge. It hit the ground, its impact easily splitting apart its squishy body. Octorock innards spilled all over the floor. The Octorocks looked around the room, trying to find out who had killed their brother. They wouldn't find him. "Tael, where is the entrance to Zora's Fountain?" he whispered.  
  
Tael didn't answer. He was still in shock over the death of the Zora, and what Skull Kid had just done. Finally, he answered. "It's the tunnel straight ahead, first left, first right, second left." Skull Kid headed for the tunnel. After a moment, Tael followed. They walked up the tunnel to King Zora's throne room. When he got there, he found something appalling sitting on the frozen stream in front of King Zora's throne. Frozen in blocks of blue ice were a large group of Zoras. After a moment, Skull Kid recognized them. He saw Mikau, Evans, Japas, Tijo, and Toto of the Indigo- go's. He also saw a Zora who looked like a younger version of Mikau, sans the tattoos, and an incredibly fat Zora that could only be King Zora. Before the true horror of this moment registered on Skull Kid, he noticed that the frozen king Zora was standing up and thought, How can his little legs support that much weight? Then the horror registered. He pulled out his Fire Hammer and slammed it on the ground, trying to melt the ice. The fire didn't even cause steam. Tael spoke. "Skull Kid, that's magical ice. You can't melt it with fire."  
  
"Then how do I melt it?" asked Skull Kid, a bit hotly.  
  
"We have to find the monster that has cursed the water and kill it."  
  
"You mean the demon in the temple?"  
  
"No, I think the monster causing the ice is in the Fountain. The demon's probably done something else. Let's go to the fountain and free these people."  
  
"Just a second." Said Skull Kid. He walked down the tunnel that the stream from the throne normally flowed down and found himself at the top of a waterfall overlooking the main cavern, still frozen. An Octorock sat at the edge of the waterfall. Skull Kid shoved it off the cliff and walked back to the throne room, hearing a splat a few seconds later. He took off the Stone Mask and climbed onto King Zora's throne, walking along the frozen stream leading into the Domain from the fountain. He reached the end of the tunnel and was out in the open air. He was now in Zora's Fountain, a large pool with a deep center. Rocks jutted out of the water on the far right side of the pool, along with a dead tree. At the edge of the pool, to Skull Kid's left, were a wall of stakes, keeping anybody from falling off the waterfall that fed into the river and normally hid the Domain's entrance. Just a few yards away from the stakes sat a large platform with four Zora pillars, where Jabu-Jabu used to be fed. Jabu-Jabu wasn't around though. The water was dark, cold, and murky. Icebergs littered the fountain. A large ramp of snow led up from Jabu-Jabu's feeding platform. Careful to stay in the shallow water, Skull kid waded to the platform and walked up the ramp. He wished he had some winter clothes, but tried to ignore the cold. He reached the top of the ramp. He surveyed the fountain. The main stretch of the pool was in front of him. Icebergs littered the place. He could see a blocked cave at the far-left side of the fountain. He looked off the edge of the ramp, into the depths of the fountain. It was pretty deep. A few Octorocks were piddling around. Skull Kid wondered where the chief monster was. He peered into the murky depths of the fountain. He suddenly noticed bubbles and a huge form coming towards the surface at the very far end of the fountain. The figure erupted to the surface, splashing water everywhere. Skull Kid gaped. It was like an Octorock, but fifty feet tall, almost a third of the length of Jabu-Jabu. It had red, pulsating skin. Its eyes were covered by a shell just like all of its kind, except its eyes were blue instead of green and were angry instead of the regular sad look and the shell over its eyes was spiked. Its mouth/snout was rimmed with teeth. It had four tentacles instead of eight. Each of its suckers was rimmed with teeth as well, and the ends of the tentacles were spiked. It bellowed and slowly paddled towards our heroes. "Tael, what…what is that? A giant Octorock?"  
  
"Pretty close. It's a Giantocto, the most dangerous of all octopi. It can spit boulders and squirt ink, and also form whirlpools to suck you in so it can eat you. It has two mouths: one to spew stuff out, the other to suck things in."  
  
"Wait…so you mean that the mouth that spits rocks also…"  
  
"Yes. Yes I am."  
  
Skull Kid grimaced. "I hope it doesn't try that as an attack. So, how do I kill it?"  
  
"It's only weak spots are the mouth it sucks things up with and the unarmored point on its back. If you could get a bomb to its mouth, you'll damage or stun it long enough to attack its behind. You could also try using a boomerang attack of some sort."  
  
"But bombs don't work in water. The fuses don't light."  
  
"But Skull Kid, don't we have a special kind of bomb that would work in this case? One without a fuse?"  
  
Skull Kid immediately got the hint. "Ohhh…but if it's inside the Giantocto, won't that count as a separate room?"  
  
"No. The innards of a living thing don't count as a room. You'll be able to safely detonate it. Anyway, it'll probably detonate automatically when it comes into contact with the beast's internal craw. There may be other ways to stun or kill it, but I don't know of them. However, I do know that the only way you'll be able to use this strategy is if you can attack it from underwater."  
  
Skull Kid grinned. "Don't worry Tael. I got you covered." Reaching into his pack, he pulled out the Zora Mask. He slapped it on. There was a pause, followed by his screams. His body was stretching, growing into something completely different. His bones and organs shifted to match. He grew taller and taller. His bones jutted from his arms, turning into fins. As usual, his beak changed into something else, a mouth and nose. His eyes turned dark. He closed his eyes, waiting for it to end. It did. He opened his eyes and looked at himself. He was now five feet tall. His skin was a light blue, and covered with scales. His boots had grown to accommodate his feet. His gloves had gotten longer and more slender. He still had his belt and the bottom part of his tunic. He had a yellow, studded collar on his neck. His hat had sunk into his head, forming the "tail" that grew from the backs of male Zora's heads. His was reddish-brown, an unusual color for the Zora. It tapered to a point before sprouting a small tail fin. Yellow ring patterns encircled the base of the "tail." He had two extra fins like bangs growing from where his ear holes were, covering them. His eyes were still beady, but now were bluish-black. He had two large red-brown fins growing from his lower arms. He was a Zora. The Giantocto had reached him. It spat a huge boulder. Skull Kid shielded himself by enlarging one of his arm fins, but was still knocked all the way down the ramp by the impact. Shaking himself up, he quickly backflipped away as the Giantocto smashed the ramp to pieces with its tentacles. Skull Kid ran around the side of the platform into deeper water. He dodged the rocks spewed by the Octorocks and dove into the water. The Giantocto immediately grabbed him. As the spiky tendrils dug into his skin, he activated his electric force field. Screeching, the Giantocto let go and swam right over him. It opened the large mouth on its bottom, where all the tentacles met, and started sucking. As Skull Kid began to get pulled in, he pulled an Atlantean bomb from his pack and flung it into the current. It was sucked into the monster's craw. There was a pause, then the Giantocto convulsed and sunk to the bottom of the fountain. Using the awesome swimming speed of the Zora, Skull Kid dashed over to the octopuses behind. He immediately saw the weak spot. It was a large patch of purple skin, not as tough and red as the rest of the monster. Skull Kid performed a series of karate chops and kicks to the purple skin, causing the Giantocto to convulse more each time it happened. After five attacks, the Giantocto recovered, lashing out at Skull Kid with its tentacles. Skull kid knocked them away with his electric attack and waited for the next attack. Instead of trying to suck him up, the monster spat out a boulder. Since they were underwater, the boulder sunk to the floor but started rolling right for Skull Kid, who easily got out of the way. As the Giantocto kept spiting rocks, Tael targeted the beast. Skull Kid crossed his arms while circling Giantocto, avoiding the boulders. Finally, he uncrossed his arms, launching his boomerang fins at the octopus. The boomerangs stunned Bigocto long enough for Skull Kid to dart to its back and perform some more chops and kicks. When Giantocto recovered again, it was really angry. It spurted out a cloud of ink, obscuring the fountain floor. Skull Kid could not see what was in front of him. Giantocto could attack from any angle. He kept turning around, keeping his shield fin out. Tael's light was no help, since the ink obscured everything. Then, the ink cleared away ad Skull Kid was grabbed from behind by a tentacle. Before he could use his electric attack, the tentacle started to lift him towards Giantocto's mouth, which was sucking hard. Skull kid knew he couldn't just use his attack, because he would be immediately sucked in. He groped around for his pack, causing the spikes to dig in more tightly. Finally, he found a bomb and threw it. He was inches away from the craw. The bomb immediately went in and exploded, stunning Giantocto. As it sank to the floor, Skull Kid swam behind it and performed multiple attacks before it even hit bottom, scoring extra damage. But once again the Giantocto recovered. It didn't look happy at all. The Giantocto lunged at Skull Kid, knocking him across the fountain. He regained control before he hit the hard, rocky sides and swam back towards the monster. He prepared his electric attack, anticipating the charge. When the monster did charge, Skull Kid used his electric attack, stunning it as the two collided. Still electrified, Skull Kid swam to the monster's weak point and grabbed onto it, pumping gigawatt after gigawatt into the monster's body. The monster recovered, but was unable to attack as Skull Kid continued his assault. The Giantocto shrieked in pain, breaking away from Skull Kid's grasp and floated towards the surface. Once there, it fell on its back, puffed out a ring of smoke, and died. Skull Kid swam to the surface and pulled himself onto an iceberg. The Octorocks were gone. Hiding from the Zora who had slain their master. Skull Kid suddenly fell into the water as the iceberg melted. All of the other icebergs melted as well. The water started returning to its normal temperature. Back in Zora's Domain, the ice under the feet of the Zoras and Bigoctos gave way and melted. Eagerly, the Zoras sunk into the water. On the surface, the Bigoctos looked around them uneasily, not sure where to attack. Suddenly, they were grabbed from beneath and pulled underwater. Flashes of light could be seen. A red mist filled the waters. The Bigoctos floated to the surface, dead. The Octorocks quivered in fear, deciding to retreat. Skull kid swam over to Jabu-Jabu's platform and stood up, grinning. He high-fived Tael. "Yeah! We saved the Zoras!"  
  
"Not quite, Skull Kid. Look at the water!"  
  
Skull Kid did, and sighed. The water was now pretty murky, and the waterfall was still pretty weak. The main curse, the one from the demon infesting the temple, was still on. It looked like he was going to have to get to the coast. He walked back in to Zora's Domain, pleased to see it was no longer snowing and the ice had melted everywhere, except for one place. The Indigo-go's the guy who looked like Mikau, and King Zora were still frozen. They would stay that way until the demon at the temple was slain. He decided to act incognito, not wanting to cause any ruckus. He dove off the waterfall, splashing into the water, surprising all the Zoras. Well, so much for acting incognito. None of the Zoras paid him any heed. They were chatting and climbing out of the water to check on their own rooms and to kill any remaining Octorocks. May, however, were in tears. It seemed that Zora who had died earlier wasn't the first to suffer that fate. Skull kid decided the only thing he could do was to leave the Zoras alone and head to the temple. He swam over to the Lake Hylia shortcut, figuring it would take him to the bay. He was wrong. The shortcut was gone, blocked up just like the shortcuts in the forest. Skull Kid groaned, and spoke to Tael. "Does this mean we'll have to walk all the way to the coast?" he asked.  
  
"I'm afraid so." Said Tael.  
  
Skull Kid sighed and headed for the exit to the Domain. "Then let's get started."  
  
"Shouldn't we get supplies first?' asked Tael. Skull Kid thought that over then went to the Zora shop to purchase some extra Stalchild repellent and fish. Once he was done, he exited to Zora's River. He had an idea for some fun. He dove into the water and swam with the current, instinctively picking up the twists and turns, killing the remaining Octorocks and Tektites with a small jolt of electricity. He finally made it back out onto Hymina Field. He pulled himself onto the riverbank and took off the mask. He had a thought.  
  
"Hey, maybe we could follow the river all the way to the bay as a Zora!" said Skull Kid.  
  
"I'm afraid we can't do that." Said Tael.  
  
"Why not?'  
  
"The current is too slow to cut down on travel time much, plus it would actually take longer if we used the river. It doesn't go straight to the river, it goes north across Hyrule Field, splits into the moat for Castle Town and its sewers (not to mention the moat of the castle, though Ganondorf probably disconnected his castle's moat) by going through several grates, then comes out the other side and heads straight for Gerudo Valley, where it spills down a five-hundred foot drop before going down a long, slow stream to the Bay. Too dangerous, and too impossible, even with Zora swimming. We'll have to walk."  
  
"Yeah, you're right." Said Skull kid, a bit disappointed. He knew the bay was to the south, so he headed that way. Time passed much as it had the last two trips across the field. They had plenty of food and supplies, but lost time because they couldn't travel at night. After two days of walking, Skull Kid spotted something a half-mile to the west. Curious, he walked over to it. He discovered it was an archway, burnt and falling to pieces. It was part of a long picket fence that stretched as far as Skull Kid could see to the left and the right. The fence was broken and burnt in several places. He could just make out some words painted onto the arch. They said, "Romani Ranch, home of the Chateau Romani". He looked through the arch and saw several buildings, about a half a mile away. He walked through the arch and noticed that this place was lacking in grass, just like the rest of the field. There were a few trees, dead and brown. As he walked across to the buildings, he could see the picket fence that encompassed the entire area. Skull Kid estimated the ranch encompassed about five square miles of land, excellent for grazing. Or it used to be excellent. He reached the buildings, which were near the center of the ranch. Along the way, he saw a few cows, scrounging at the little grass there was. They looked a mite thin. In the not-too-distant distance, he saw what looked like a racetrack for dogs and a huge cucco pen. Both were empty, the fences burned and broken. Skull Kid approached the buildings and was distressed. Just like the rest of the ranch, they were in poor condition. The paint was all gone, the walls burnt black. He could see a big farmhouse, a stable, an empty and broken horse corral, and two barns, each different. He despaired that all on this ranch were dead, then considered the possibility that everyone was still alive, but inside. He walked over to the door and reached for the doorknob, not noticing the shadow looming over him. Tael saw it and turned around. He yelped and started jingling in distress, alerting Skull Kid. He turned around. Before he could see what was behind him, it hit him on the head with a club, knocking him out.  
  
Skull Kid groaned and woke up. He was in a cellar, probably in the barn. He could tell because he heard cows mooing. He stood up, getting off the pile of straw he had been lying on. Tael fluttered over his head. "Skull kid! You're alright!"  
  
"Of course I'm alright Tael. Did you really think a mere blow to the head could take me down? Now, what's going on?"  
  
"There are some people over there, talking. Shall we listen?"  
  
Skull Kid nodded and crept behind some crates in front of the straw, peeking over to see what was around him. He saw the stairs leading to the main barn and shelves of canned food. Not too far away, he could see a group of four bickering people, two men and two women. The strange thing was that the men looked identical, as did the women. Both men were tall and skinny, with pale yellow skin and really ugly faces, hidden behind two cheesy moustaches. On closer observation, one of the men was a bit younger than the other. As for the women, they were exactly identical, in age and clothing. Both had purple ankle-length skirts with brown mops. Both had white, short-sleeved shirts. Both had yellow cloths tied around their neck with a brooch shaped like an ugly turtle. Both had astounding blue eyes and waist-length red hair. To an average person, they would have appeared beautiful. Skull Kid wasn't the average person, though. As an imp, he had no interest in the beauty of females of different species. As far as he knew, there were no female imps, so he had no vision of beauty to compare to these women. In any case they were arguing. The older of the two men said, "I say we just kill him and get it over with. Little bugger's butt- ugly and probably has rabies."  
  
One of the two women angrily retorted. "Gorman, he has a beak. If he has a beak, how can he infect you with rabies? He has no teeth to puncture the skin. The beak is too small and blunt for that reason. Besides, I seriously doubt he would just go up to the front door of the farmhouse and try to open it if he had rabies."  
  
The younger man snorted. "Miss Malon, you have no experience in the ways of these kinds of animals. He clearly has rabies. I'm sure of it."  
  
The other women spoke. "Gorman, have you actually ever seen an animal with rabies?"  
  
"Why yes I have, Miss Romani. One of our finest horses, ain't that right Gorman?"  
  
"Mm-hmm. One of our best horses, losing his mind. He foamed at the mouth and kept trying to bite us."  
  
"Are you sure that wasn't because you kept feeding it your 'special Gorman milk'?" asked Malon. Both the girls tittered at the expressions on the two brother's faces.  
  
The older Gorman finally spoke. "Looky here, I'm going to take this here pitchfork and run that dang animal through while he's out cold!"  
  
Skull kid decided now would be a good time to make his entrance. He stepped out from behind the crates, startling the people. "I'm afraid that will be quite impossible, my good man."  
  
The four stared at him in surprise. "H-h-he's up!" stammered oldest Gorman.  
  
"H-h-he talks!" stammered youngest Gorman.  
  
"H-h-he's so cute!" mock stammered both of the girls, making fun of the Gormans.  
  
Oldest Gorman didn't like that. "Now see here, little missy…"  
  
"Oh, shut up Gormans." Said Malon. "I'm sure Dad or Ingo could use some help outside."  
  
The Gormans headed up the stairs, grumbling. "That no good Talon, laziest man alive." Muttered Talon.  
  
Romani snorted once both jerks were gone. "As if. Your dad is the hardest working man on the ranch." She said to Malon. She turned to Skull Kid. "Now what're your names, you two cute little things?"  
  
"Well, my name is…wait, you're calling me cute?" asked Skull Kid incredulously. The girls nodded. "I can't remember the last time I've been called cute…in fact, I don't remember ever being called cute!" He blushed. "Well, uh, my name's Skull Kid, and this is my partner Tael."  
  
"Hiya." Said Tael.  
  
"I'm Malon, and this is Romani." Said Malon. "Welcome to Romani-Lon Ranch."  
  
"The sign said Romani Ranch." Said Tael.  
  
Romani grimaced. "That sign's a relic from…before the merge." She didn't look too happy. Then she brightened up. "Would you like to come up so we can show you the ranch?"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Sure."  
  
The girls took him up into the barn. It was empty, since the cows were out to pasture. "This is where the cows are kept at night." Said Malon.  
  
"And the second barn is where my big sister Cremia milks them." Said Romani. They took him outside. They walked over to the doggie track, which was now full of dogs. Skull Kid was quite uneasy. Malon noticed. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Well, um, dog's don't like me for some reason."  
  
Romani chuckled. "You don't need to be worried of anything. These dogs are harmless. Go on, pet one!" she shoved Skull Kid into the pen.  
  
Every dog in the pen suddenly turned their heads towards the imp. "Ulp. Uh, hello?" said Skull Kid meekly. The dogs growled and viciously lunged at Skull Kid, who ran outside the pen, with all thirty-six mutts chasing after him, barking and howling. He ran down the racetrack, trying to get away from the hounds. As the girls and Tael stared in amazement, Skull Kid ran past them at incredible speed, the dogs just yards behind him.  
  
Mamamu Yan, who had been watching nearby, noticed and timed him. "Oh my! You've incited my doggies to break all of their previous records! I don't know why, but my pooches really seem to hate you so much that they want to tear you to pieces, causing them to move extra fast!"  
  
Skull Kid's response to this was screaming. "Uh, shouldn't we help him?" asked Tael.  
  
Romani glanced at him. "Do you want to try to get in front of all those dogs?" she asked.  
  
Tael flew away to try to find help. He found what he was looking for at the Cucco pen. He jingled loudly and wiggled in the air, trying to get the Cucco's attention. As he flew back towards the doggie track, the Cuccos followed. Grog immediately noticed. "Hey! Come back here with my Cuccos!"  
  
Skull Kid panted. He was running out of breath and energy. He wished he had eaten an early lunch. The dogs were almost on him. He could already feel the dogs sharp fangs ripping into his flesh, tearing him from limb to limb. What a way to go! He thought. I've survived being nearly frozen to death, a giant skeleton, a giant dinosaur, a giant octopus, and two mighty demons, only to be mauled to death by dogs. He rounded the bend once more, knowing he would only be able to make one more lap at best before falling. Then he saw something coming towards him. It looked like Tael, followed by a flock of…Cuccos? What was Tael doing with chickens? Tael guided the chickens right behind Skull Kid, into the path of the angry dogs. Now, you all know what happens when you attack a Cucco don't you? If you don't I'll tell you. If you attack a single Cucco, it'll call all of its friends, who will then proceed to peck you to death. Literally. And the dogs were now occupied as the Cuccos proceeded to kill them. The dogs retreated with their tails between their legs, barking in fear, the Cuccos right after them. Relieved, Skull Kid fainted. Mamamu Yan gasped and went after her dogs, yelling at the Cuccos to stop attacking her dogs. A few seconds after she ran after the animals, Grog came on the scene and chased after her, yelling at the dogs to stop baiting the Cuccos. As they ran towards the cows, the stupid bovines panicked and ran. The dogs were immediately distracted from the ravenous chickens on their tails and ran after the cows. They all ran past the corral, causing all the horses to panic and jump over the fence keeping them in. Ingo ran after them, screaming and waving his pitchfork. The horses were running wild at the head of this bizarre parade, with the cows second, the dogs third, the Cuccos fourth, Mamamu Yan fifth, Grog sixth, and Ingo at the end. Romani and Malon stared as the parade of peoples and animals ran across the fields, eventually reaching the path of Ingo and the Gorman Brothers, who had been carrying tanks of milk into storage. When they saw what was coming towards them, they screamed, dropped the milk, and ran, now at the head of this strange parade. Malon and Tael glared at Romani. "What? What did I do? He's the one who unleashed the Cuccos!" she protested, pointing at Tael.  
  
"Yes, but you're the one who forced my best friend to almost get mauled by the dogs." Said Tael fiercely.  
  
"Uh, well, er…" Romani couldn't think of a response to that.  
  
Skull Kid woke up later to find himself in a comfy bed. Tael was nowhere in sight. He looked around and saw he was in a small guest bedroom, somewhere in the farmhouse. He got out of bed and walked through the door. He looked out a window and saw it was night. He was in a small corridor with a few bedrooms. They had signs over each. The one he had steeped out of said, "Guest Bedroom." The others were, "Mamamu Yan's room", "Grog's room", "Talon's room", "Ingo/Gorman/Gorman's room", and "Bathroom." There were two sets of stairs, one of which led to the attic, the other which led to the first floor. The attic door had "Romani/Malon/Cremia's room" on it. Skull Kid walked down the stairs and found himself in the dining room/kitchen. There was only one person sitting at the table, the man in charge of the farm, Talon. He looked a little tired. Skull Kid walked over to him. Talon looked up from his empty dish. "Hmm? Oh, you're that imp that the dogs chased and Gorman knocked out with a shovel, aren't you?"  
  
Skull Kid frowned. "I would not like to be reminded of those events right now."  
  
Talon blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. Your name's Skull Kid, right?" He nodded. "Good. Your dinner's on the counter. If you'd like to keep me company, I'd sure appreciate it."  
  
Skull Kid got his dinner and sat at the table. He ate a few bites, then decided to talk to Talon. "I've heard you're the laziest man in the country."  
  
Talon scowled. "I WAS the laziest person in Hymina. I slept seventy-two hours straight quite often. But then…" he stopped.  
  
"Then what?"  
  
Talon looked at Skull Kid, shuddering at the memory. "Then…HE came. Majora."  
  
Skull Kid almost spat up his dinner. "What did he do?" he finally asked.  
  
Talon closed his eyes, then opened them. "It was the day of his dawn, his arrival. He came to the ranch at noon and told us he hated horses and chickens and cows. He didn't have a problem with dogs, so he made a slight concession in our favor. He began to burn down the ranch, but because he liked our dogs, he spared our lives. He left the ranch in flames, giving us the privilege of putting out his own handiwork. However, he took one thing with him when he left. One very, very important thing. Two things, actually."  
  
"What were they?"  
  
"The first thing he took was our hopes, dreams, and freedom. The second thing he took was my daughter's prized horse, Epona." He sighed. "After that, I realized we had to rebuild the ranch. And I knew I had to help. I've been working along side everyone else to rebuild this place, and discovered that I didn't really need as much sleep as I thought I did." He said nothing.  
  
Skull Kid had another question. "Tell me about Epona."  
  
Talon started another tale. "It all began with my mother, Epona. The ranch had been in our family for generations, ever since it was first built. She had a mighty mare, a horse named Laura. When I was twenty, I met and married Malon sr. We jokingly renamed the ranch Lon-Lon because the last syllable of our first names matched. My grandmother died a few years after, but she had two requests for us. First, she wanted my daughter to be named Malon as well. Second, she wanted Laura's new colt to be called Epona. After she died, Malon and Epona were born. The two were best friends. Malon sr. even wrote a song that bound Malon and Epona together, so Malon could call her horse from any distance by singing that song. But fifteen years ago, something horrible happened. The Gerudo War began, and the Field was the perfect place for any battles to be fought. Our Ranch was in the middle of it all. One day, a Gerudo scouting party tried to turn our Ranch into a base. We fought back, driving them off, but…my wife died. After that day, I became lethargic, feeling I had nothing to live for. Until now, of course. I realize that I should have been focusing more on Malon than on my naps. Now her soulmate is gone, and I don't know how to help her."  
  
"She seemed fine when I met her." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"That's Romani's influence. That girl has never had a horse, so does not truly understand Malon's loss. Since their personalities are exactly identical, Malon has something to feed off of, to act on, anything to keep Epona out of her head. But I have heard her tears at night when I have to make my regular trip to the john at midnight, and…" he could say no more.  
  
Skull Kid decided to change the subject. "DO you know where my fairy is?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh, he's helping Romani and Grog round up the Cuccos. We wouldn't want them to escape or anything. You know, it's getting late. Why don't you go to bed?" Skull Kid wished there were something more he could do for this poor man and his family, but he could not. Yet.  
  
He walked up the stairs, and went into the bathroom to take care of certain hygiene-related issues. As he walked into the guestroom, he looked out the window and saw the moon, grinning evilly from overhead. Skull Kid glared at the moon. "Someday, Majora," he whispered. "Someday." He got into the bed and went to sleep.  
  
The next morning went routinely. After breakfast and bathing, he picked up Tael and left the ranch with a few complimentary bottles of Lon-Lon milk and Chateau Romani. He felt sorry for the farmers. He swore that the demon would pay for this as well. As they headed south, Skull Kid asked Tael how it had been to find Cuccos at night. "Awful." Grumbled Tael. "Even with my light, it was too dark to see anything. Romani kept stumbling over Cuccos and getting nearly pecked to death. But we got them all by morning. Do you mind if I go to sleep? I'm really tired."  
  
Skull Kid took off his hat, allowing Tael to get in, whom immediately fell asleep. Their trek continued. They kept heading south, taking their time. It took two days, but they finally reached their destination. The trail to the beach used to be fenced off, but no longer. It looked as if they had been ripped off of their posts. They probably had been. A sign above the ripped-off fences said "Hymina Bay." Skull Kid and Tael got to the end of the trail and looked at the beautiful bay, extending all the way to the ocean. The beach was made of golden sand and old beach towels and umbrellas littered the area. The water looked murky. Far to Skull Kid's right was a strange building that looked like some sort of laboratory. It had a tower sticking from the top with a ladder leading up the side and what looked like a giant pirate's hook at the top. To Skull Kid's left were two houses, one the old Skulltulla House (now inhabited by a paranoid young man who was certain the moon would fall the next day) and the other was the Fisherman's Hut, which had the Fishing Pool right behind it. Built into the cliffs surrounding the bay were the walls of the Pirate Fortress. Out in the bay itself were three things: the abandoned Zora Hall, the far-off Pinnacle Rock, and the storm-enshrouded Hymina Bay Temple. There only seemed to be one way to get to the temple, and that would be to swim for it. Skull Kid donned his Zora Mask and dived into the water, speeding through the murky water towards the temple. Tael's light helped to pierce the murk of the water. He wasn't sure how he would get through the storm, but he figured it would be no big deal. He didn't know how wrong he was. He suddenly found himself heading back towards the beach. He had gotten lost somehow, and was turned around. He climbed onto the beach, took off the Zora Mask and pondered what to do next. He then remembered that there was a turtle sleeping at the back of Zora Hall who would be able to take him to the temple. He was about to don his mask once again, when a net was thrown over his head. He didn't have time to register this when suddenly the net thrower started dragging him away, intentionally dragging him over sharp rocks and shells. He looked up and saw who his captor was. It was a Gerudo Pirate. She was dragging him towards a rowboat with a bunch of other Pirates. Tael, who had not been caught by the net, was unsure what to do. "Tael!" yelled Skull kid. "Go get help!"  
  
"From whom?"  
  
"Anyone! It doesn't matter! Just get help before it's too late!" That was all he could get out before the pirate threw him into the boat and set off for the fortress.  
  
Cliffhanger ending, huh? We know the Gerudo brutally tortured Skull Kid before, what new tricks have they worked up? Find out next time! 


	9. How can a fish write poetry?

Howdy do. I promise this chapter will be longer and more interesting than the last one. Honest!  
  
Disclaimer: I'm bored.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
The turtle stopped swimming. They had reached their destination. They had entered the front hall of the temple. It had a tiled floor with several barrels scattered around the room. The turtle anchored himself in the pool of water right in front of a set of stairs that led up to a door. After saying their good-byes, Skull Kid and Tael headed through the door. They were in a huge square room, filled with water. Two elevator platforms went up the walls on either side of the platform with the door. The platform on the left led to an empty ledge. The one on the right led to a larger ledge with a gap between it and the next ledge, which had a door on it. The floor of the pool was covered with yellow and red pipes. In the very middle of the room was a yellow crank on a platform. On either side of the crank was a waterspout. The one on the left was red and inactive. A red pipe led from the waterspout to a tall pillar with a red crank on it, which had another red pipe that led to another inactive waterspout, then went through the wall to the next room. The one on the right was yellow and active, sending water up to a large waterwheel on the ceiling, turning its shaft that led into another room. In the upper-right corner of the pool was another yellow crank, which had a pipe leading to an inactive waterspout in the gap between the two ledges. Another pipe led from the next room to the crank, splitting so it went to the second crank as well. There did not appear to be any enemies in the room. Skull Kid swam over to the first yellow crank. He pulled himself onto the platform and turned it. Immediately, the yellow waterspout shut off. The waterwheel stopped turning, and the elevators stopped working. Skull Kid quickly reactivated the waterspout, fixing the machinery. He decided to try the other crank, which was underwater. He put on the Zora Mask and dived onto the platform. He turned the crank, activating the other yellow waterspout, making a sort of bridge for the gap. Skull Kid swam over to the right elevator platform and hopped on. When he was level with the ledge, he jumped onto it and was immediately attacked by two Skulltulla. Angrily, he killed them with a few well-timed kicks. He ran over to the edge of the ledge and looked over the side, into the waterspout, which periodically rose and fell. He knew he was a better jumper as his true form, so he took off the mask and jumped onto the waterspout. When it was high enough, Skull Kid jumped off onto the ledge. He ran through the door at the end and found himself in an amazing room. It was round and very deep. Most of the room was filled with water. Red and green pipes went from door to door in the room. Speaking of which, most of the doors were underwater. There was a staircase from his door that led down to a bridge that went straight across the room. However, there was a square tower jutting out of the room's floor and blocked the bridge. It had a ledge around it to walk across, but it was spinning. The waterwheel in the first room connected to a large set of gears on this room's ceiling, which led down in a shaft that connected with the top of the tower, making it turn. Three sets of paddles extended from the tower, one for each level of the pool. The pool itself had several doors on the walls. The rim of the pool had a narrow ledge that circled the whole room. Ladders on either side of Skull Kid's pillar led down to the ledge. At the other end of the bridge was a door on a pillar. A large statue of a dragon's head and neck peered over the edge of the platform, a hookshot target on its neck. Skull Kid would have been able to hookshot to it, but a strong waterfall from a grate in the ceiling only inches above the dragon head blocked it. At the very bottom of the pool was a grate that the water drained into. The water probably went through several complex plumbing before coming out the grate again. It was like perpetual motion, sort of. There was probably some way to shut off the grate. Skull Kid was completely unsure of where to start. This central room was so big. "Tael, where do we start?"  
  
Tael flew into the water and was pulled along by the current. He came out a second later. "The current is very strong. We can only go to two of the rooms. The current blocks everything else. The tower has a door in its base, but it's locked with the Boss Key lock. Even if we had the Boss Key, I don't think we could use the door just yet, because I saw a green pipe leading from one of the doors that went into the floor right next to the tower. I think we have to turn a bunch of green and red cranks, seeing all of the pipes around this place. I suggest we use the door on the right side of the middle floor. My guardian fairy instincts agree on this."  
  
Skull Kid nodded and walked onto the bridge in the middle of the room. He donned the Zora Mask and dove into the water, swimming with the current to the appropriate passage. The corridor turned to the left, where a row of sharp spikes prevented him from walking any further. He swam over the spikes and continued down the corridor. The corridor turned right again, and ended in a dead end. Skull Kid was stumped until he saw the hole in the ceiling. He swam up the hole and Skull Kid found himself in a pool in a long, narrow rectangular room. There were several Skullfish, who immediately saw him and tried to attack. Skull Kid easily killed them all, then rose to the surface. There were four platforms scattered about the room. The closest platform was low enough for him to climb up on, but the other three were not. One of the higher platforms had a treasure chest, another had jars, and the platform at the far end of the room had a door. Unfortunately, it was inaccessible at the moment. A corridor was in the wall above the platform with the jars, a green pipe running from it and going through the corridor Skull Kid had come through. Skull Kid climbed onto the low platform then took off the Zora Mask. He targeted the treasure chest with his hookshot, then pulled himself onto it. He opened the chest and found…"Gee, a compass. Big whoop. Hey Tael, how do these compass things allow me to see hidden treasure chests? I've never understand that."  
  
Tael shrugged. "Search me."  
  
Skull Kid put the compass away and donned the Zora Mask once more. He dived to the bottom of the pool and headed towards another hole in the floor. He jumped in, but was grabbed from behind by something very powerful. It shook him about before throwing him into a wall. He groaned and got up. "What the?"  
  
"That was a Dexihand. It's an annoying aquatic life form that can only be killed with a boomerang or an electric attack."  
  
"I think I'll take my chances with boomerang. Z-Target!" Tael targeted the Dexihand, which was on the edge of the hole. He shot it with his boomerang fins, killing it. He sunk into the hole, finding himself in another corridor. He walked down the corridor and entered a small rectangular room, really only a little taller than the corridor. There was a platform with a door above the pool at the other end of the room. Large lily pads floated in the water. From their undersides hung Bio Deku Babas. Skull Kid hated weeds like these. They were like normal Deku Baba, except they lived underwater and had arms. Using his boomerang fins, Skull Kid severed the Babas from their stalks. They fell to the floor, and mutated into horrible new creatures! They tried to attack Skull Kid, but he killed them with a few electric attacks. He floated to the surface and headed through the door. He was in an irregular-shaped room. He was on a large T- shaped platform, on the bottom part. A channel ran beneath the bottom part of the platform, moving at an intense speed. In front of the main portion was a large pool of water, with some more Bio Deku Baba lily pads. An alcove at the other end of the room contained a treasure chest and a Real Bombchu. It could only be accessed by the hookshot. Another alcove next to it was longer, more like a corridor. However, there seemed to be no way to get there just yet. At the bottom of the pool was another treasure chest, guarded by a Dexihand. Skull Kid easily eliminated all the enemies in the room before checking out the booty. Using the hookshot, he got to the alcove and found…the Dungeon Map! Since the map had actually been useful in the last temple, Skull Kid just put it away. He then turned into a Zora and sank to the other treasure chest. He found…a Small Key! "Oh no! Not these things again!" moaned Skull Kid. "Tael, please tell me this is a Water Key or something that unlocks all the doors in this temple!"  
  
"Sorry Skull Kid, but it isn't." Skull Kid groaned and put away the key. He then realized that he was sort of trapped in here, since the current that had taken him to that first room was one-way. He decided the best (and only) way out of this room was to jump into the channel. He jumped in and let the current pull him along.  
  
He found himself back in the central chamber, but this time he was on the first level. He swam to the surface and pulled himself onto the ledge around the room. "Where's that other door you mentioned?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"It's on the bottom floor, upper left side. It has a big wooden block in front of it." Skull Kid sank to the floor and allowed himself to be pulled towards the appropriate door. He entered the corridor and turned right, following the path. He had to climb out of the water at the end to enter the next room. He found himself in a room with a large gap. A crystal switch stood next to him. A pair of Blue Tektite sat at the other end of the room, in front of the door. Skull Kid stunned the Tektites with his boomerang fins then hit the switch next to him. A waterspout shot out of the gap, providing a stepping stone to the other side. Skull Kid jumped across and went through the door before the Tektites could wake up. He was in another corridor that turned left. He followed it and was in yet another room. It was square, with a huge red pedestal/pump extending out of the water. A crank sat on top of the pillar. A red pipe ran from the pillar, crawling across the walls until it met with a ledge on the north side of the room, went just beneath it, then sloped into the water on the east wall, finally going through the corridor Skull Kid had just exited. The ledge the pipe had run under had a door on it. In the southeast and southwest corners of the room on the surface was a pair of platforms. There were plenty of Skullfish and Shell Blades in the water, and a few Octorocks on the surface. Skull Kid eliminated the Skullfish easily, but the Shell Blades were a lot tougher. He managed to kill them, but not without suffering major damage. His left arm was badly hurt. He had a few Red Potions, a few bottles of Lon-Lon Milk, one dose of Chateau Romani, along with some fish and a couple of bottles of Gold Dust he had probably acquired while he had been drunk back at Goron City. He could only use the Red Potions on land, so he had to get to the surface. He had noticed the door on the ledge and knew he had to get there. He swam over to the bottom of the red pipe and started walking up. As he walked up the pipe, he had to be careful to avoid the Octorock attacks while clutching his left arm to stop the bleeding. He made it to the ledge and gulped down a Red Potion, healing himself. He took off the mask and headed through the door. He was in a corridor with a pair of Chuchu. He easily killed them and entered the door at the other side of the corridor. He was in a tall, square room with several gratings on the walls. As he took a step forward, iron bars sealed the door behind him. A Gekko appeared, dropping from the ceiling. It was hideous, like a giant red poisonous frog on its hind legs. It had black stripes all over its body, and spines protruding from its back. It had a wide, evil grin and big yellow eyes. It ribbited and hopped towards Skull Kid. Tael targeted it. Skull Kid shot it with his crossbow. That made the Gekko angry. It grinned and pointed at the ceiling. Skull Kid looked, and wished he hadn't. On the ceiling was a grotesque giant eyeball, surrounded by about a hundred little bubbles. The eyeball, along with the bubbles, dropped from the ceiling, hitting the floor with a sickening thud. The Gekko cackled and started hopping towards the giant eyeball. The bubbles began bouncing towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid stared in disgust. "Tael? Please identify!"  
  
Tael flew over to the eyeball. "This thing is a Wart. Those bubbles bouncing towards you are its children. The Wart will attack you by rolling at you. The only way you can damage it is by shooting it in the eye." Said Tael.  
  
The Gekko jumped on top of the Wart. The Wart began to roll straight for Skull Kid. The Gekko managed to stay on by running against the direction of his steed's roll. Skull Kid jumped out of his way, the bubbles surrounding them. He swung his dagger, hitting and popping bubble after bubble. They still kept crowding around him. Skull Kid charged up his dagger, unleashing a spin attack and popping a dozen bubbles. They still kept coming, and the Wart was about to roll into him. Then he had a brilliant idea. He put on the Zora Mask and unleashed his electric attack. Since bubbles are basically made of water, the current of electricity ran from bubble to bubble, killing them all. Now there was nothing to distract from the main fight. Wart and Gekko rolled towards Skull Kid. As Tael targeted, Skull Kid whipped out the hookshot and fired at Wart's eye, striking just before the ugly monster hit him. Wart roared and stopped rolling, its eye spinning. The sudden brake caused Gekko to be hurled off, straight into a wall. He stumbled around, dazed. Skull Kid quickly shot the frog with his crossbow. The Gekko yelped and hopped back towards Wart. Skull Kid backed away, ready to use his hookshot. However, what happened next was unexpected. When the Gekko got onto Wart, it screamed a command. The Wart trembled and jumped, attaching itself to the ceiling. It glared at Skull Kid with his eye, then dropped, barely missing him. Dazed, Skull Kid barely dodged the eyeball's roll. When he recovered, he readied his hookshot as Wart started to turn around. He shot the beast in the eye again, allowing him to hit Gekko with another arrow. When Gekko and Wart hopped onto the ceiling again, Skull Kid managed to make it to one of the room's corners before the eyeball fell and started rolling. Skull Kid poked it once again, and shot Gekko with another arrow. Gekko and Wart jumped back to the ceiling again, while Skull Kid stayed in his corner. As the eye prepared to drop, Skull Kid got a great idea. He shot Wart with his hookshot before he could drop from the ceiling. Stunned, Wart fell to the ground, knocking Gekko off. Skull Kid shot the poisonous frog with yet another arrow. Gekko and Wart tried their drop again, but Skull Kid shot them down and fired one last arrow at Gekko. The frog screamed. Wart trembled and exploded into a puddle of green goo. The Gekko screamed again and fell to the floor, its flesh melting and crumbling to pieces. A treasure chest appeared in the middle of the room. Skull Kid panted and took a swig of Lon-Lon Milk, re-energizing himself. He walked over to the chest and opened it. He was surprised to find…a Boomerang! It was not the regular orange with a red jewel, instead it was blue with a white jewel. "Hey, wait! I already have boomerang fins! " Said Skull Kid.  
  
"That's not a regular boomerang. That's an Icerang! It allows you to freeze objects at great distances. You can use it to plug up grates of water, or turn enemies into temporary blocks of ice, or even make icebergs to cross water. Very useful, no?"  
  
"Well, I can see several uses for this baby. After all, this is a temple filled with water." Skull Kid put away the Icerang and headed back to the room with the red crank. Skull Kid could see no way to access it. The pipe went sheer vertical for a little while, so he couldn't climb it. He couldn't jump to it, and he couldn't hookshot to it. Frustrated, he jumped into the water. However, he had forgotten about the Octorocks. As they bombarded him with rocks, he quickly swam towards one of the platforms in the southern corners of the room. He pulled himself up. An Octorock was in the water right in front of him. The stupid cephalopod spat a rock, only to shatter against the edge of the platform. Suddenly, Skull Kid got an inspiration. The Octorock was right between him and the platform. In fact, if he could climb on top of the Octorock, he could jump to the platform. And he had just the thing to make the Octorock stand still. He threw his Icerang at the Octorock, freezing it in a block of ice. He ran and jumped onto the block of ice, grabbing it by the edge. He pulled himself up and made another jump, also grabbing on by the edge. Behind him, the Octorock quickly melted then turned around, about to spit a rock that would cause Skull Kid to fall. He pulled himself up before that could happen. He walked over to the crank and turned it, sending water down the red pipe. Skull Kid knew the current would prevent him from exiting the way he had entered, but he spied another corridor underwater. He donned the Zora Mask and dove to the corridor, following the current and finding himself back at the main room, bottom level. Following the current, he decided to keep after the red pipe to see where the next crank was. It led back to the room where he had gotten the Compass. He retraced his route, finding himself back in that room. The pipe led up to the door on the platform, disappearing into the wall. Skull Kid knew not even the Zora dolphin leap could help him here, but he had another method to cross. He pulled off his Zora Mask and took out his Icerang. He threw it at the water just in front of him, forming a small iceberg. He hopped onto the iceberg and used his Icerang on the water right in front of his iceberg, forming another iceberg. He continued in this manner until he reached the platform with the door. Even though the iceberg elevated him a bit, he was still too short to make it to the platform. So he put on the Zora Mask, stepped onto the iceberg right behind the one he had been standing on and took a running jump for the platform. As he grabbed onto the edge, the icebergs he had used all melted. He climbed up onto the platform and discovered the door was locked. Good thing he had a small key. He entered the room. It wasn't that big. Another red crank sat at the back wall on a high pillar. The red pipe from before went into the pillar, and came out the other side, going back into the room Skull Kid had just left. There seemed to be no way up the pillar. In front of Skull Kid was a Blue Chuchu. Skull Kid was about to kill it with his Zora Boomerang, when he suddenly had an idea. He took off the Zora Mask and hit the Chuchu with his Icerang, freezing it in a block of ice. He then pushed the block until it made contact with the pillar. He climbed onto the block and the pillar then turned the red crank. Water was sent gushing through the red pipe, heading back into the last room. Skull Kid put the mask back on and left the room before the Blue Chuchu could melt. He looked for where the red pipe went and saw it went into the corridor that used to have all those Bio Deku Baba. It looked like he was going to have to go a long way before he could make it back to the first room and activate the red crank there. He walked down the long corridor, finally making it back to the room where he had found the Dungeon Map. He was about to jump in the channel, when he suddenly remembered he could now travel to that previously inaccessible alcove/corridor using the Icerang. After taking off the mask and making more iceberg bridges, he pulled himself up to the corridor and found it was icy. There were icicles in his way (Which he easily chopped down) and a block of ice blocking the door. He used the Gigaton Hammer to melt the ice, then entered the door. He was in a room exactly like the Gekko/Wart room had been. Skull Kid looked at the ceiling to see if there was anything on it. There wasn't. He stepped forward and iron bars sealed the door behind him. The shadows in the corners of the room quivered then came together in the center of the room, merging into a large black pool of shadow. The pool started shrinking, sending its mass upward to take on a new shape. A familiar shape. It was…Link? Skull Kid blinked and looked again. It was, and at the same time, was not Link. This Link was completely black in clothing and skin, with red eyes and a black sword and shield. He had a black fairy as well. A very, very familiar-looking black fairy. Skull Kid couldn't believe it. They had locked him away! But it was he. Vari, Navi's evil brother. "Vari!" exclaimed Skull Kid. "What are you doing out of your cell?"  
  
The evil fairy chuckled. "I managed to escape when the demon began his takeover. The foolish fairies of Mesmoria were too busy strengthening the barrier too notice my escape. I easily found my way into employ with Ganondorf, who sent me here to guard the temple along with his creation over here, Dark Link. Isn't that right, Darky?" Dark Link grunted. "Not much of a talker, is he? Anyway, I'm very surprised that you two would be the intruders. Now I'll have to have Dark Link kill you two in revenge."  
  
"Okay, I understand why you would want revenge against Skull Kid since he's the one that uncovered your evil scheme. But why do you want revenge against me? What did I ever do to you?" asked Tael.  
  
"You replaced me as prince of Mesmoria! That is even worse than what Skull Kid did to me! In fact, I think I shall kill you myself for that!"  
  
"Bring it on, Vari." Said Tael.  
  
"Just a second. Dark Link! Do kill the imp for me, would you?" Dark Link grunted. "Okay, thanks. Prepare to die, Tael!" The evil fairy charge Tael. The evil shadow of Link charged Skull Kid. For a moment, he was worried because no Tael meant no targeting, then he remembered that meant Dark Link had no targeting either, since Vari's pride was so great. Slightly reassured by his extra speed as a smaller creature than Dark Link helped encourage him. He ran at Dark Link. Dark Link swung his sword low, trying to cut off Skull Kid's head. Skull Kid rolled under the swing and sliced at Dark Link's stomach with his dagger. The shadow screamed and whacked him with his shield. Skull Kid stumbled away, trying to dodge more swings. He tried to do a jump attack. Dark Link jumped out of the way and struck Skull Kid on the back, drawing blood. Skull Kid winced and tried to get in with his dagger, but Dark Link kept parrying his blows. Out of the corner of his eye, Skull Kid could see a similar fight with Tael and Vari. Charging with electricity, each kept slamming into the other, trying to shock their opponent into submission and only countering each other. Skull Kid realized that daggerplay wasn't going to work on Dark Link. Then he remembered what Link had said about how he had beaten Dark Link. Skull Kid grinned. He backflipped away from Dark Link, getting out of range of the shadow's sword. Her took out the Gigaton Hammer and smashed it on the ground, unleashing a wave of flame that burnt Dark Link. He screamed and vanished, reappearing behind Skull Kid, who swung the hammer, hoping to hit Dark Link. He did, in more ways than one. He heard a high-pitched sound, then a thud as Dark Link fell to the floor. Skull Kid turned around and saw Dark Link was on the floor, wincing in pain and clutching his…er…family jewels, where it seemed Skull Kid had hit him with the Hammer. Skull Kid felt a bit embarrassed but knew he might not get another chance like this. He drew his dagger and stabbed Dark Link through the heart. Dark Link roared and got up, shaking the dagger from his body. Skull Kid was astonished. He was still alive? He had no time to think this over as Dark Link tried to decapitate him. Skull Kid ducked, grabbed his dagger, and rolled forward, knocking Dark Link off his feet. While he was down, Skull Kid stabbed him in the back. The evil shadow roared and flipped onto his back, kicking Skull Kid in the stomach. As Skull Kid doubled over in pain, Dark Link jumped to his feet and raised his sword. Skull Kid recovered and jumped out of the way of the chop. He doubted that Dark Link would allow him to use the same trick twice, so he had to think of a new strategy. He got one. Backing away from the sword swings, Skull Kid powered up and launched his Spinning Dagger Attack. Thanks to certain improvements by a certain blacksmith, the dagger, and thus the attack, were much stronger. Thanks to the spin, the dagger's energy cut into Dark Link's skin, hitting him twelve times. Dark Link screamed and charged Skull Kid. Skull Kid jumped out of the way as Dark Link chopped with unbelievable force. Unfortunately, it caused his sword to get stuck in the ground. While he tried to pull his sword out of the floor, Skull Kid stabbed him in the back. Dark Link roared and pulled his sword out, swinging it over his head and nearly driving it through Skull Kid's forehead. Skull Kid had run out of ideas. He had no more tricks up his sleeve. He ran away, Dark Link chasing after him, waving his sword over his head. He saw Tael and Vari were still at it, and that's when he had a brilliant idea. He ran just past the two fairies, too low to get hit by their electric discharge. Dark Link ran towards the imp, his sword raised high. Tael and Vari, oblivious to anything but each other, backed up, preparing another charge. As Dark Link ran between them, they came together right on his sword, smashing into the flat parts of the blade. Since they had been crackling with electricity, and swords are made from metal, which is conductive to electricity, and Dark Link was holding the sword, he got shocked. He screeched. Tael and Vari flew back, slightly dazed. Dark Link was temporarily paralyzed from the electric discharge. Now was his chance! Skull Kid ran forwards and stabbed Dark Link once more. And that did it. Dark Link moaned and fell to his knees, then to his chest, dead. His sword and shield clattered to the ground, useless. Even though he had not been real, Dark Link had left a pretty real corpse, and pretty real black blood oozing from Dark Link's body, pooling onto the ground. Vari stared in horror and disbelief at what had been one of Ganondorf's greatest creations. "No! No! Noooooo! Who will protect me now?" He gulped and turned to Tael, who was still crackling with electricity, then turned again to Skull Kid, who was approaching him, dagger drawn. Vari gulped again. "Er, maybe we could talk about this…" Tael chose that moment to ram into the unsuspecting Vari, shocking him. "OW! OW! That hurt, you little motherf" Before he could get out another syllable of that awful insult, Skull Kid pulled out his only empty bottle and brought it over the former fairy prince, effectively trapping him. "No! NO! Don't trap me in here like a common peon like that forest fairy over there! Let me out! Let me out! Ahhhh! It's just like my cell in the prison! The walls…the walls are closing in on me! I can't breathe! I can't breathe! I can't…" He fainted.  
  
Skull Kid sighed in relief. "Finally. I thought he would never shut up." He put away the bottle and took a bottle of Red Potion, draining it and healing himself. "Well, that's my last Red Potion. I hope we don't need it later."  
  
"Hey Skull Kid, the door has opened and a treasure chest has appeared over there."  
  
"Well, let's see what's in that chest. By the way, Tael, nice job with the attacking-him-from-behind thing. It allowed me to bottle him."  
  
"Aw, it was nothing. You did all the work."  
  
"True, true. That evil shadow was quite tough, but not too tough for Skull Kid! Mighty Warrior!" They laughed, then went to the ornate treasure chest and opened it, finding…"Sweet! It's the Boss Key! Now I can get into the chamber where the Boss lurks!"  
  
"Yes, I know. So why did you yell it out?"  
  
"Eh, I felt like it. Come on, let's get back to the first room and see what those red cranks we activated do." They left the chamber, finding themselves back in the room where the Dungeon Map had been acquired. Skull Kid put on the Zora Mask and jumped into the channel, letting himself get pulled back to the main room. Once there, he pulled himself onto the edge of the ledge that ran around the room and walked over to the door back to the first room, climbing up the ladders on the side. He pulled off the mask and entered. Once inside, he saw that the first red waterspout was now active. It was in the northwest corner of the room, to his right, but he saw no way to get to it. He couldn't jump to it from his ledge. Then he saw a hookshot target just above the waterspout. He used the hookshot on the target, pulling himself onto the top of the waterspout. The pillar of water rose and fell, matching heights with the red crank when at its maximum height. Skull Kid jumped over to the crank platform and turned it. The inactive red waterspout in the middle of the room went on, shooting water at the waterwheel on the ceiling. With both the yellow waterspout and the red waterspout on, the wheel stopped turning, meaning that there was no more current in the last room. This would have been great, except for one thing. The lifts had stopped working because the waterwheel had stopped turning, leaving Skull Kid stuck in this room until he turned off one of the waterwheels. He remembered what Tael had said about green pipes, and remembered that the corridors in the main room that led from the rooms where Skull Kid had gotten the Compass, the Dungeon Map, and the Boss Key had green pipes coming to or from them. Skull Kid considered just turning off the red pipe, until he checked the Dungeon Map. It seemed that the channel in the Dungeon Map room actually led from another room! If Skull Kid could reverse the current by turning off the yellow waterspout, then he would be able to access whatever was in those other rooms. He jumped off the platform, diving into the water. Since the crank he was looking for was on the surface of the water, he didn't need to turn into a Zora to get it. He climbed onto the crank's platform, and turned it, shutting off the yellow waterspout under the waterwheel, causing it to turn the other way. The yellow bridge waterspout still remained. The elevator platforms started working again. Skull kid swam over to them and jumped on, then hopped across the ledges and waterspout back to the main chamber. He was pleased to see the big tower-paddle-thingy was now turning the other way. He was about to get in the water, when he noticed that the beginning of the green pipe (as well as the non-important yellow pipe) came out from over the doorway that was blocked by the waterfall from the ceiling. The only way to get to that doorway would be to cross the rotating building/pillar. It didn't look that hard. He walked down the stairs from his platform and walked across the bridge to the rotating tower. He jumped onto its ledge and almost lost his balance. The tower seemed to be spinning quite fast. He stumbled around the tower, trying to make it to the bridge. He jumped off, hoping he was on the right end. He wasn't. He had to think of a better way to get to the other side. He got one. He pulled out his Icerang and threw it at the water, forming an iceberg. The iceberg was caught up in the current and came towards Skull Kid, hitting the bridge and stopping. Skull Kid hopped onto the iceberg and made another one just to his right, which also got caught by the current and knocked into the bridge. Skull Kid repeated this process until he finally reached the bridge and walked to the bottom of the waterfall. The water spilled off into the pool itself, the source of the pool's water. Skull Kid knew there was a drain at the bottom of the pool, which recycled the water back into this same waterfall. He hadn't found a switch to stop the flow of water, but he found something better. He threw his Icerang at the grate, freezing the water just coming out in a block of ice, stopping the waterfall. The room's water did not drain, for one simple reason: since the waterfall and the drain were both recycling the same thing, if there were no way to start either grate, the whole plumbing system would automatically shut down, preventing any water from entering or exiting the room through the complex plumbing system mentioned earlier. However, this meant that even if Skull Kid turned the green crank in the next room, it would not send water down the pipe until the system was fixed. But that wouldn't present any problem, Skull Kid could just climb up the statue's neck and use the Gigaton Hammer to melt the block of ice he had made. He hookshot up to the statue, walked around it to the door, and went in. He was in a corridor with a steep slope leading up to the door. Spike Traps spun across the slope. It was easy to get past them, all he had to do was time his ascent with the patterns of the Traps' movements. He reached the door and went in. He was in a square room with a high ceiling. There was a meshwork grating covering most of the ceiling, forming a platform with a few barrels on it. Gaps in the meshing had hookshots on the ceiling above and a little to the side of them, allowing access. However, there was nothing of interest up there, as I already said. The floor was a fairly wide walkway around a deep square pool. Spikes lined the walls, along with a few hookshot targets. Four square pillars rose from the pool. Two of them had grooves on their sides, allowing a person to climb. The other two pillars were the pumps for the yellow and green pipes. The yellow pump had no crank, merely the yellow pipe coming from the top of it and going through the wall above the door. The green pipe came from the side of its pump and went through the wall above the door, just like the yellow pipe. It had a crank on top. Skull Kid was easily able to jump across the pillars to get to the crank. He turned it, but nothing happened since the pumps were shut off. He would have to go outside and turn them back on. But once the pumps were activated, the water would go through the green pipe since the crank had been turned. Skull Kid left the room and carefully descended the slope back into the main room. Once there, he climbed to the top of the dragon statue and slammed his Gigaton Hammer, unleashing a wave of fire that melted the ice, restarting the waterfall and the plumbing system. Water flowed through the green pipe to the next crank. Skull Kid donned the Zora Mask and jumped off the dragon's head, diving to the water far below in a spectacular, flawless dive that left Tael speechless. He submerged and let the current pull him around, while he looked for the green pipe's whereabouts. It led into the channel that led from the room where he had gotten the Dungeon Map. With the current reversed, he would be able to go the other way down the channel. He swam into it and let the current pull him to its end. He passed through the Dungeon map room, past a pair of Dexihands that were too slow to catch him, and down another long corridor before the current died down. He was in a pool of water in yet another big room. There were several Skullfish in the water that he easily dispatched before coming to the surface. To his right was a platform with an elevator platform going up and down next to it. Above him was another huge waterwheel, being turned by a waterfall from the ceiling. At the far end of the room, level and a bit to the right of the waterwheel, was a corridor. The green pipe snaked from the corridor Skull Kid had just come out of and went into the door. Skull Kid saw that the far end of the waterwheel had a flywheel that would actually allow Skull Kid to jump to the corridor if he could somehow stop the waterwheel and get up there without the lift. Then he saw how he could do it. He knew that the temple builders had probably designed it so that the lift only worked when the waterwheel was turning. He could use the Icerang to freeze the waterfall as long as he was high enough to make the jump to the waterwheel from the lift. He took off the Zora Mask and swam over to the lift as it went underwater. When it went back up, it carried Skull Kid as well, taking him up to the ceiling. Skull Kid knew he had to time this perfectly. If he messed up, he would have no way to reach the block of ice to melt it. His hammer's range was twenty feet, and he knew that the waterfall was beyond that. He waited until he was just at the top of the lift's path, then threw the Icerang. It froze, stopping the lift and the waterwheel, whose flywheel was now horizontal. Skull Kid backed up and made a rolling jump from the edge of the lift, increasing his chances of hitting the lift. He did. It hurt a little, but Skull Kid shook it off and carefully walked down the shaft of the lift. He walked along the flywheel to its edge, looking to his left to see the corridor. He made another risky jump, grabbing onto the corridor's edge. He walked down the corridor, following the pipe, and found himself in a small room. It was a room with a single green crank in its center. The floor was covered in ankle-deep water. There was another corridor on the right side of the room. There were no enemies or puzzles. It looked too easy. Suspicious, Skull Kid stepped towards the crank.  
  
"Skull Kid, doesn't this seem like a trap to you? Don't touch the crank until we find out why this room is so easy."  
  
Skull Kid paused. "Yeah, I'm betting this is a trap, but I don't see anything. I wonder…" He looked up and saw thirty large, bulbous pods covering the high ceiling.  
  
"Ew," said Tael. "Those are Tektite eggs."  
  
"I get it now, if I had touched the crank, the Tektites would have hatched and attacked me. Well, we'll just see about that." He took out his Icerang. "Tael, target each egg one by one for me, willya?"  
  
Tael flew up to a random egg. "Pull!" he yelled. Skull Kid hurled the Icerang, freezing the egg and killing the Tektite larvae inside of it. He repeated the process with each egg until all were frozen and dead. Skull Kid didn't grin though. He seemed a little troubled. "What is it?" asked Tael, flying back to his partner.  
  
"It's just, well, we killed those babies before they even had a chance to grow, to live. Even if they were evil monsters, was it right to kill them before they could even mature?" He sighed. "I know we're on an important mission and all, but I've heard that the ends do not justify the means. Does saving the world mean killing thirty defenseless larvae? Maybe I should have just tried fighting them all."  
  
Tael snorted. "Yeah, and died trying. Where would you be then? Dead, your mission ended, your friends and family disappointed in you, the entire universe destroyed, just because you didn't want to kill thirty insects in their sleep? There is such a thing as necessary evil, you know."  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. What's done is done. Let's just push this crank and move on. I hope I don't have to do a murder like that again."  
  
"I'm sure you won't." said Tael reassuringly. Skull Kid pushed the crank, sending water through the green pipe in the corridor to the right. Skull Kid went down the corridor and found himself in the previously inaccessible high corridor overlooking the room where he had found the compass. He jumped down and put on the Zora Mask. Since the current had been reversed, he could now easily leave the room, following the green pipe down the corridor until he back in the main room. The pipe went down the wall and across the floor, ending in a non-rotational base beneath the central rotating tower. Skull Kid knew it was time. He swam down to the building, grabbing on to the edge of the doorstop. He pulled himself up and used the Boss Key in the door, going inside.  
  
He was now inside the tower. The shaft of the paddle thing came through the roof, where it stopped just the floor and split sideways, sending two metal bars into the walls, where they became the paddles outside. There were two other pairs of protruding metal bars as well, one for each set of paddles. Skull Kid was standing on solid ground between two rows of spikes. At the end of the ground was a wooden block, set into the floor. There were several ledges protruding from the walls higher up. One of them on the second level, right wall, had a hookshot target on its edge. The entire tower was slowly rotating. It was a little wobbly, but Skull Kid could walk. Skull Kid pulled off the Zora Mask and used his hookshot to get up to the ledge, pulling himself up the edge. There was another ledge just to his right that he could easily jump to, and another ledge across from his current position that he could reach by jumping from the second ledge. He made the jumps to the ledge on the other side and found an inscription with a Triforce carved above it. Skull Kid read the inscription. "It says, if you wish to awaken the path sleeping beneath this temple, you must play the song that awakened the shelled one in the form of a fish. I understand that the shelled one was the turtle and the form of a fish would be me as a Zora. But what song does it mean?"  
  
"Oh! Oh! It means the New Wave Bossa Nova. The scientist guy taught it to me when I was getting help to save you from the pirates. It goes like this…" He jingled out the tune.  
  
Skull Kid played it on his flute. Nothing happened. "Oh yeah, I have to be a Zora." He put on the Zora Mask, then played the flute. Suddenly, at the bottom of the tower, slits that had looked like just carvings on the walls opened, letting water in. Buoyed by the water, the wooden block floated from its setting, stopping beneath the ledge that had the Hookshot target. Once the block had hit the ledge, the slits closed, leaving the tower almost half-filled with water.  
  
"What was the point of that?" asked Tael.  
  
"I think I know. Look! There's a hole where the block was. He can go down it and find the boss. See, you can see the green pipe down there, so there must be another crank in wherever the passage leads that will get us to the boss."  
  
"Let's go then!"  
  
Skull Kid dived into the water and submerged, trying to avoid the spikes at the bottom as the tower kept spinning. He found it easier to stay near the center, but that wasn't easy since while underwater, he wasn't affected by the tower's spinning and could get hit by the walls or the paddle-bars. Still, he managed to hit the ground and walk beneath the shaft to the hole with the pipe. He fell in and sank down a long tunnel. At the bottom was a corridor going straight ahead, with the green pipe on the wall. Skull Kid followed the pipe and found himself at the bottom of a pool of water in a huge slightly rectangular room. The green pipe went along the wall, rising out of the water to make a slope, until it turned right, leaving the wall and making contact with the platform that held the final crank, suspended high above the pool in the middle of the room by arches coming out of the underwater floor. The pipe went along the wall again out of the crank and snaked across the wall before going back under the water and ending in a green waterspout, which was between the crank platform and a ledge with a door on it. That door had to be where the demon was, since it was the only place left to look. Also, creepy spider-like legs grew from the bottom of the ledge that went into the water, not to mention the various bright lights surrounding the ledge and the door, and the fact that the door was very big and decorated differently than the rest of the temple's doors. Skull Kid walked up the pipe, carefully making his way to the crank. Once there, he turned it, activating the green waterspout. He pulled off the Zora Mask and took a running jump to the waterspout. When it reached the top of its climb, Skull Kid jumped onto the ledge, grabbing it by the edge. He climbed up, ran to the door, and opened it. He went inside. The next room was kind of small. It was octagonal, with a hole in the middle of the floor. Cries of help could be heard from below. "Sounds like the Sages of this Temple. Let's save them!" Skull Kid jumped into the hole. After a relatively long drop, he landed on a circular platform in the middle of a huge square room filled with water. There appeared to be seaweed and rocks growing at the bottom of the pool. He looked around and suddenly saw two female Zoras bobbing in big bubbles on opposite sides of the room. The bubbles were attached to the floor by strong kelp stalks. The first Zora Skull Kid sort of recognized as Ruto, Sage of Water and princess of the Zoras. The other Zora was ten years older, but still looked like Ruto. Skull Kid recognized her as Lulu, lead singer in the Indigo-go's and obviously the new Sage of whatever. Skull Kid knew the demon Gyorg was around here somewhere. Remembering how useful the boss masks had been in the past, he took out Gyorg's Mask and put it on, searching for its power. He found it. "Ah man."  
  
"What? What power does the mask have?"  
  
"It has the power to make me breathe underwater."  
  
A moment passed. "WHAT?"  
  
"You heard me. A completely useless power. It looks like I'll have to think of something clever to save the day." They were interrupted by a bubbling noise in the water close to them. Suddenly, something erupted from the water and leapt over the platform. It was a whopping thirty feet long. It was red-brown, covered in scales. It had three fins on its back. Its tail was large as well, flexible enough to easily propel its owner through the water. Six sharp spines jutted from its sides, able to cut through anything on either side of the thing. Its front fins actually looked more like some kind of bat wing, with three claws coming from the fin's end. Its head was huge and ugly, squat but tall. It had two horns protruding from its forehead, one above the other. It had two giant green eyes, and a massive mouth filled with razor sharp teeth and huge fangs. Or were they big enough to be considered tusks? Either way, it was definitely the demon.  
  
GYORG: GARGANTUAN POETRY-WRITING DEMON FISH  
  
Gyorg splashed down on the other side of the platform, then came up, spinning to face Skull Kid. "Who dares intrude in my temple? Say, is that the mask that I was imprisoned in for over a thousand years?"  
  
Skull Kid decided now would be a good time to think of something clever. He did. "Um, no. I actually carved this mask myself. I'm a huge fan of yours!"  
  
Gyorg actually believed it. "Really? You like my poetry? I thought nobody liked my poetry! Majora only said he was going to publish my books because he wanted to see if there was such a thing as mass torture. So which book did you like the best? Ocean gurgling? Aqua noise? Fishy feelings?"  
  
"Uh, the second one."  
  
"Ooh, that's my favorite too! You know nobody back in Hell appreciated my poetic genius either, not even all the other water demons! They all keep paying attention to stupid Tortus! Those two Zoras don't seem to like my poetry either! Here, let me read you this one I've just made up: When the sea is blue, that makes me blue too, when the sea is green, that makes me feel green too, when the sea is red, that makes me feel red too, when the sea is purple, that makes me feel purple too, when the sea is orange, that makes me feel orange too, when the sea is white, that makes me feel white too, when the sea is orange, that makes me feel orange too, when the sea is black, that makes me feel black too, when the sea is fuschia, that makes me feel fuschia too…" One hour later, Gyorg was finally finishing the poem, after going through every color and color variation he knew of. "…That makes me feel gray too, I feel colorful man! So, what'd you think!"  
  
Ruto and Lulu were throwing up in their bubbles. Skull Kid would have gawked if he weren't wearing a tight mask. That was definitely the worst poem he had ever heard. No wonder nobody liked his poetry! He had to say something complimentary and fast if he wanted to keep up the act. "That…that was the most beautiful poem I have ever heard!" Tael looked like he was going to throw up. Of course, since he was a ball of light, it was hard to tell.  
  
"Great! I'll read it again…"  
  
"No! No! I want to keep that first reading etched in my mind forever! May I have your autograph?"  
  
"Sure! I'll come right over." Gyorg swam to the edge of the platform, pulling his upper body onto the platform itself. "Now, may I have a paper or something?"  
  
"Sure, just lean a little closer, with your mouth open…that's right, that's right…there! Now, let me just get you a paper and pen so you can sign using that beautiful tongue of yours. I would like it to say, "To my fan, EAT EXPLOSIVE DEATH YOU BASTARD!"  
  
"Eat explosive death you bastard? What kind of name is that?" Skull Kid pulled out the normal bomb that he had lit inside of the pack and hurled it into the demon's mouth. It exploded in Gyorg's stomach, stunning him. Skull Kid whipped out his dagger and stabbed the demon fish through the eye, piercing his brain. Gyorg roared and leapt completely onto the platform, flopping around like a fish out of water, which he was. With each flop he got smaller and smaller, until finally what was left of him burned up, returning to Hell. A portal opened where he had vanished.  
  
Skull Kid pulled off the mask, grinning. "Wow! This worthless mask did come in handy after all!"  
  
"Say, shouldn't we help those girls now?"  
  
"Right, right." Skull Kid put on the Zora Mask and dove into the water, heading for Lulu's bubble first. He cut the kelp strand with his boomerang fins, popping the bubble as well. Lulu eagerly swam to the platform, yelling her thanks back at Skull Kid. Skull Kid repeated the process with Ruto, who actually sank to the bottom and gave him a big kiss on the cheek before going to the platform.  
  
When Skull Kid made it back to the platform, the Zoras had already jumped into the portal. He pulled off the mask and followed suit. He was back in the Chamber of Sages. As usual, Rauru was standing on his platform, looking pleased. Ruto and Lulu were on the Water platform. They gave a little wave to him, smiling. Rauru smiled and spoke. "Another temple completed. I'm impressed. You've still got over three weeks to go. Now, your friends would like to give you something."  
  
Ruto spoke. "I was kind of expecting Linky or Tito to save me from that fish's awful poetry, but you'll do. You know, you're pretty cute. Kind of reminds me of how Link was when we first met…" she sighed, slightly wistful. "But I'm over that. Now, let me give you your reward. Of course, that kiss could be seen as a reward, so just take this Water Medallion, will you?" She raised her hands. There was a flash high above, and another Medallion fell to him. Skull Kid grabbed it as it fell. It was deep blue, with a Triforce symbol on the back and six drops of water arranged in an outward-pointing circle on the front.  
  
Lulu spoke. "I kind of thought it was funny how you tricked that fish. I knew he was stupid enough to write poetry like that, but I didn't know he was that stupid. By the way, how is my husband and the rest of the band?"  
  
Skull Kid stalled, then said, "Last time I saw them, they were frozen in a big block of ice."  
  
Lulu actually seemed reassured. "Good, that means they weren't hurt. They should be melting now that Gyorg is gone, and the water will return to normal as well. In any case, I don't want you wasting time by going all the way to Zora's Domain to check on them or anything. I just want you to tell Juba-Juba that I'm fine and he'll still get to hear me sing."  
  
"Who's Juba-Juba?"  
  
"The turtle." Whispered Tael.  
  
"Now, I would like to reward you with two things." Lulu tossed Skull Kid four pieces of paper. "These are tickets for the Indigo-go's next concert, whenever that is. You can take three of your friends with you and get front- row seats."  
  
"Sweet!" said Skull Kid, putting the tickets away.  
  
"Now for your more important reward. Take this Ocean Medallion with my thanks." She tossed the Medallion to Skull Kid. He caught it. It was blue- green, with a Triforce symbol on the back and a tidal wave on the front.  
  
Rauru coughed to get Skull Kid's attention. "Now it's my turn. I think I should tell you a little more about where you're going. First, the dragon. Nabooru's ancestor, the builder of the Spirit Temple, created the dragon Ge from the sands of the desert. Now for the more important part. Stone Tower. I have no idea who the Sage there is. I'm not sure who built the place in the first place. It actually seems to be older than the other temples, almost as old as the Temple of Time itself. I don't know what the Sage is of, either."  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Big deal. Pretty much all of the Sages are leaders among their own kind. Who's down with the Gerudo now?"  
  
"The undead of Ikana." Said Rauru.  
  
"Then that means Igos is probably the Sage. No worries Rauru. I can handle the temple."  
  
"You're probably right, but remember that this temple is going to be more dangerous and more confusing than the last three. It'll also take the most time, because it will take about a week round trip to cross the desert. Anyway, to get there you'll have to pass through Gerudo/Ikana Canyon. To reach the canyon, leave the beach and head northwest across Hymina Field for three days. When you reach ground that has no trees, head west. You'll reach the canyon in no time. Now, go forth and continue your good work." Rauru raised his arms. There was a flash, then nothingness.  
  
  
  
Well, what did you think? Bet the boss battle was nothing like you expected, was it? Skull Kid has completed three-fourths of his quest to find the Sages. And then he must defeat Ganondorf…and Majora. Will he persevere? And is Igos really the next sage? Find out next time! 


	10. Brainwashing and a lot of mention of see...

Hey Hey! I'm back! Sorry it took so long to upload the last chapter, but I had a few personal problems. Nothing serious or important, but still problematic. Hope you liked the last chapter. Oh, and I read one of my reviews from an anonymous reader, and she seems to be talking about some kind of transformation in Skull Kid, a suggestion for me. She says I know what it is, but I have no idea what she's talking about! I think she either means Skull Kid should turn into a human, or she means he should become a…teenager. (Shudder) Anyway, that'll never happen, since Skull Kid is an immortal. Technically, he already is a teenager in spirit. Maybe even an adult. But his form and name will always remain the same, no matter what mask he puts on. He will always stay the same little imp we all know and love. If any of you could just look at the review I mentioned, (it's under the name of child and something about donkeys and Mandrella) and figure out what she means, please explain it in your review. By the way, I already know how I'm going to end this thing, and was thinking of having another trilogy featuring Skull Kid as the hero! What do you think? I can't give any details just yet, but I will say it involves travel beyond the boundaries of Hymina. And now, enough wasting of time. To the story!  
  
Disclaimer:…  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Skull Kid and Tael rematerialized at the back of Zora Hall, where Juba-Juba was waiting. "Congratulations, you two! You did it! Nice job. The seas are crystal clear once again, and the river is back up to speed. You two really are heroes, you know that?"  
  
"Eh, it was nothing." Said Tael. "The demon was pretty stupid."  
  
"Still, you won a great victory." He looked up at the night sky. "You know, it's pretty late. Do you need a ride to shore?"  
  
"Yeah, that would be nice." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Then hop on," said Juba-Juba, turning to allow Skull Kid to hookshot one of the trees on his back.  
  
Skull Kid did so, and the giant turtle ferried the two back to shore. He dropped them off then headed back to his post. "Nice guy, but a little slow, if you know what I mean?" joked Skull Kid.  
  
Tael chuckled. "Good one. Now, where do we sleep?"  
  
"Here's fine. Since there are no Stalchildren, I don't see why we need to use the tent. In fact, how about we sleep under the stars tonight?" Skull Kid unrolled his sleeping bag out of his pack and lay it out inn the sand. He unzipped it and snuggled inside. However, sleep did not come immediately to the heroes. They looked up at the night sky, not just at the grinning moon but at the myriad of stars that lit up the heavens. Skull Kid smiled. "You know Tael, back in my dismal days of thievery, I always ended up looking at the stars before I fell asleep. As time went on, I decided to name the constellations in Termina for myself. Even though this is not Termina, this world is in the same place as Arave. I'm very certain that the constellations here match. Actually, I know I'm sure, thanks to the observatory back home."  
  
"Hey Skull Kid, we need something to do until we fall asleep. Show me the constellations you made up, please? Please?"  
  
Skull Kid chuckled. "Sure, I'll show you." And with that, Skull Kid showed Tael his constellations, pointing to the stars that made them up and connecting the dots, then using imagination to fill in the space around the lines. Skull Kid showed Tael the Four Giants, the Bouncing Goron, and the Fighting Zora. He showed Tael the Clock Tower, the Sleepy Deku Scrub, and the Spinning Gerudo. He showed Tael the Dancing Redead, the Flying Guay, and the Biting Snapper. He showed Tael the Sitting Hiploop, the Snoring Bigocto (and the Snoring Little Octorock next to it). He showed Tael the scurrying Boe, the Howling Wolfos, and the Leaping Tektite. He showed Tael the Slimy Chuchu, the Burrowing Leever, and the Swimming Desbreko (Which was surrounded by various Swimming Skullfish). He showed Tael the Slithering Like Like, the Snowy Eenos, and the Stinging Dragonfly. He showed Tael the Exploding Bombchu, the Shambling Stalchild, and the Rolling Nejiron. He showed all the stars in the sky and his names for them.  
  
An hour later, Skull Kid had run out of stars. Then Tael noticed one. "What's that one over there?"  
  
"Where?"  
  
"That one that's right underneath the moon. What is it?"  
  
Skull Kid frowned. "That constellation wasn't back in Termina. This is a new one! Give me a minute to name it. You try to connect the dots to see what it is." Skull Kid stared at it for several moments.  
  
Tael suddenly saw it. "Skull Kid, that's us!"  
  
"What? What are you talking about?"  
  
"That constellation! It looks like us. See there's you, with your hat in your hand. And there's me, right next to you, near your shoulder."  
  
Skull Kid looked at it again. "You're right, that looks just like us! Looks like we have a new constellation named. I dub it "Skull Kid and Tael", a celestial picture of two great friends."  
  
"Aw…" They went to sleep soon after.  
  
The next morning, they packed up and left the beach for good, walking along the trail back to Hymina Field, from which they headed northwest. For three days they traveled across the field. The Guays were getting worse. They were becoming complete annoyances, constantly attacking Skull Kid. But at last, they made it to the part with no trees and headed west. After an hour or two, they reached a trail through a mesa of some sort. The rocks stretched around them to the left and right, as far as the eye could see. It was the western border of Hyrule, in a way. The Gerudo were considered citizens, but technically they were outside of Hyrule, on the very edge of the Shi'hashi, the Great Desert. Other lands lay across the desert, some even in the desert, but none were too close to Hymina. They followed the trail, which slowly curved upwards. They took a turn along the path, coming to a series of tall, carved stone pillars and broken fences. There was a turnoff to the left that led to the Graveyard. Skull Kid decided to take it. He went down the trail and found the graveyard hadn't changed a bit. It was still littered with graves honoring the brave soldiers who fought and died in the Great War of Ikana, the ones that had not ended up stuck in a perpetual state between true life and true death. There was a trail that led to the second half of the graveyard. It had no graves, but it did have the home of the living, Terminan Dampe` the gravekeeper. However, as he walked down the path, Skull Kid suddenly saw a huge difference. The difference was the large group of Stalchildren that erupted out of the ground around him and grabbed him before he could even draw his dagger. "Let me go! Let me go, you piles of bones!" Skull Kid yelled.  
  
The Stalchildren ignored his cries and dragged him down the path to the other end of the cemetery, where a broken bridge went over Dampe`s house, leading to an empty treasure chest. The trail to the bridge went down and around so it went under the broken bridge, coming out to meet the trail from the rest of the graveyard. Sitting in between the gap of the bridge was a forty-foot tall Stalchild, with a small group of Stalfos patrolling the area around it. This Stalchild had a necklace and bracelets, not to mention a strange hat, making it look like some sort of military officer. He was. He was Captain Keeta, leader of the undead armies of Ikana Canyon, except for the King of Ikana. He peered down at the group approaching him. He spoke. "Sergeant Tibia, what have you brought for me?"  
  
The lead Stalchild stood tall and saluted. "Sir! We found this foul imp intruding on our precious resting place! Sir! Requesting permission to execute this trespasser! Awaiting your orders sir."  
  
Captain Keeta chuckled. "Oh come on, he's not foul. And I'm sure he's harmless and has a good explanation for why he's here. Why don't you let him go and go back to your posts?"  
  
Sergeant Tibia saluted again. "Sir! Following your orders now! Troops, atten-hut!" The Stalchildren let go of Skull Kid and marched back into the main graveyard, burrowing back underground.  
  
The Captain peered down at Skull Kid. "So, who are you? What are you doing in our graveyard?"  
  
Skull Kid saw no harm in telling this soldier the truth. "My name's Skull Kid. I'm on a mission to overthrow the evil Majora, and I need to get to Gerudo/Ikana Canyon. Is that a problem?"  
  
Keeta shrugged. "I don't see why not. However, I think you'll have a tough time getting there. The bridge over the river has been broken, and there's no way across. It's even too great for our military-issue hookshots. But you're welcome to try it if you want. We're dying for news of the Canyon. We haven't had any news from the Commanding Officer in two weeks. I'm worried something's wrong. Is there any other way we can help you?"  
  
"Not that I can think of. By the way, where is Dampe`?"  
  
"The gravekeeper? Last e heard of him was when we returned from the Gerudo/Ikana Canyon after our big party/celebration/hoe-down in honor of our not getting killed by light any more. Of course, we Stalchildren have always been immune to sunlight, but what fool would pass up the chance to go to a cool party? Besides, those Gerudo babes are the first women we've seen in two hundred years. But back to Dampe`. We were coming back from the party just after sunrise. Dampe` was beginning to make his rounds. When he saw us coming up the graveyard trail, he said, 'Aaaaieeee!!! T-they're out!' ran screaming back to his house over here. Every other day or so he peeks his head out, screams, and stays inside. Weirdo. Will that be all?"  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "Yeah, I think so."  
  
"Good! You may go now, if you wish."  
  
Skull Kid felt it would be a good idea to salute. He did. Captain Keeta saluted back. Skull Kid and Tael left the graveyard.  
  
Majora sighed happily as he lounged in his sulfur bath. To any creature not of demonic origin, the bath would be less than relaxing. In fact, it would be excruciatingly painful. His prisoners were outside the bathroom, the one place where Majora did not take them in. Even he had limits to his cruelty. He squeezed his acid-proof rubber sea serpent playfully, chuckling as it squeaked. It was then that he noticed he wasn't alone in his bathroom. A darkling was standing next to his master's bath. Majora quickly sat up in the small pool/vat. "What are you doing in here? I gave specific orders never to be interrupted while I am taking a bath!" he snarled, preparing to unleash fiery retribution on his minion.  
  
The darkling kneeled. "My humblest apologies master, but Ganondorf wishes to speak to you again. He claims it is of great urgency."  
  
Majora sniffed. "I'll handle his call. Now go before I change my mind about sparing your life."  
  
"At once master." Said the darkling. It started for the exit. As it reached the doorknob, Majora hit the darkling with his fire breath, immediately killing the creature.  
  
Majora grinned. "Changed my mind. Now, to see what Ganondorf wants." He mentally opened the seal he had placed around the moon to block incoming transmissions.  
  
Ganondorf's hologram appeared in front of the vat/pool. "Sir, I have very important news to…are you taking a bath?"  
  
Majora shrugged, soaking back into the vat. "Yes, what of it?"  
  
Ganondorf wasn't sure what to say, so he just got to the news. "Sir, like I said I have important news. The Sages of Water and Ocean have been freed."  
  
"SO?"  
  
"Doesn't that trouble you?"  
  
"Why should it? So what if our mysterious hero managed to free two more Sages? He'll never make it to the next two."  
  
"But Gyorg is dead."  
  
"So? I hated that fish! His poetry always drives me crazy! Why do you think I mass-produced his books to sell to the people? For the profit?"  
  
"I thought they were for profit."  
  
"Yes, but also to force people to read his horrible poetry. Anything else important?"  
  
"Well, Zora's Domain is back to normal."  
  
"Big deal."  
  
"And the Indigo-go's are free."  
  
"The point being?"  
  
"They're writing a new song called, "One hundred ways Majora sucks."  
  
Majora leapt to his feet, sending sulfur everywhere, melting holes and dents into the floor. "WHAT!?!?!?!? They dare to poke fun at me, the mighty demon Majora, emperor of this world?!?! I will rain Moon's Tears on them!"  
  
"I don't think that will be effective. Now that the Sages are freed, there is a protective barrier around the Domain, the Bay, and the river. You can't harm them."  
  
"Arrrgh! Do you have any good news for me?"  
  
"Not really. My lookouts still haven't found him. How's the portal spell going?"  
  
"Not well. I have everything I need except for two ingredients. I need dust from a purple light and blood from a child of time. I haven't been able to find them."  
  
"Have you tried to use dust from a purple lamp?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you try painting the glass part of the lamp purple and collecting its dust?"  
  
"Yes. I think the dust itself has to be purple."  
  
"Did you try painting the glass part of the purple lamp purple, then painted the dust purple?"  
  
"Yes Ganondorf, I have tried everything! There's something here I do not understand. As for the blood, I believe it means the blood of a god. But I have tried sap from what's left of the Deku Tree and blood from Jabu-Jabu, and none react with the other ingredients. Then again, they are not immediate of the Goddess of Time. I think I would need a direct child of her."  
  
"Hey, wasn't that Skull Kid a direct child of hers? Too bad you roasted him with that Demon Flare, or you would have been able to use his blood."  
  
Majora groaned. "Don't remind me. Look if there's nothing else, just go, will you?' Ganondorf saluted and vanished. Majora sank into his tub, but found that not even the relaxing sulfur could cheer him up now. Grumbling, he got out of the tub and headed for the door. However, he tripped on one of the dents in the floor and fell on his face. He roared, shaking the entire moon. Every darkling looked around, trying to find out what was wrong. They all concluded the master was having a bad day and decided they should not disturb him.  
  
Skull Kid and Tael reached the bridge. What was left of it anyway. The bridge crossed a huge gorge, with a raging river at the bottom. However, the bridge was broken. There was no way across. Not even the hookshot could cross this great distance. As Skull Kid pondered, someone tapped him on the shoulder. He whirled around to see…"Garo! How are you doing?"  
  
Garo nodded. "Fine I am. Skull Kid, cross this bridge you must. Gerudo and Undead in grave danger are the. Brainwashed them someone has. Erase the brainwashing you must."  
  
"But how do we erase the brainwashing? And for that matter, how do we get across the gorge?" asked Tael.  
  
"Simple it is. Use what gave you last time I did. Cross the gorge you shall. As for brainwashing, defeat the simply witches in charge. Beware you must though, witches true enemy the may not be the. Until next time…" Garo vanished.  
  
Skull Kid pulled out the Lenses of Truth. He looked at the gorge and saw…"Tael! The bridge isn't broken! It's just an illusion!" And so it was. The bridge was right there, hidden by a spell of illusion to seem broken. Relived, he crossed the bridge and headed down the trail to the canyon hideout. After a long walk down a trail, they reached the Fortress. There was a well with two outlets, several round stone houses, another house that looked like a music box, and the fortress itself, with the Ikana Castle sticking through the middle of it. Gerudo and undead were patrolling everywhere. Skull Kid knew that the witches were probably in the fortress/castle. He would have to get there without being seen, so he put on the Stone Mask and headed for the front door.  
  
However, the mask did not seem to work on Gerudo. One of them spotted him immediately. She blew a whistle, alerting the other guards as she ran over to Skull Kid. "Hey you! Do you really think you can get into the fortress of the Gerudo just by wearing a stupid mask? Get him!"  
  
Next thing Skull Kid knew, several Redead and thieves were taking him away. He was thrown into a stone cell high in the cliff wall. He was literally thrown in, they dropped him into the cell through a hole in the ceiling. There was one window with a wooden beam supporting it. "You've escaped several jail cells before. How are we going to get out of this one Skull Kid?"  
  
Skull Kid smiled and took out the hookshot. "You know, for supposed great thieves, you'd think that they'd steal all of my stuff before throwing me in here wouldn't you? They didn't even pick my pocket!" He aimed his hookshot at the beam over the window and shot, pulling himself onto the windowsill. He looked down and saw the patrolling Gerudo and Redead, not to mention a couple of Gibdos. He knew he would need a better disguise to get through the fortress. He rummaged through his pack, looking for the right mask. "Postman's Hat? No, they'll never believe I'm delivering a letter. All-night Mask? How could a torture device for insomniacs ever be useful? I honestly think Link wasn't thinking straight when he got this thing. Blast Mask? Nothing to blow up. Stone Mask? We've already seen that doesn't work. Keaton Mask? Useless. Bremen Mask? No animals around. Bunny Hood? It's useful, but completely ridiculous! Don Gero's Mask? No frogs. Mask of Scents? I don't think I want to be near dead bodies with a heightened sniffer like this mask. Romani's Mask? What's the point of this thing? Circus Leader's Mask? Man, this thing is too sad, in more ways than one. Kafei's Mask? Useless. Couple's Mask? Sweet, but useless. Mask of Truth? No dogs or Gossip Stones. Not like those things ever say anything useful anyway. Kamaro's Mask? Oh for the love of… Giant's Mask? Cool, but I don't think that'll work. Deku, Goron, or Zora Masks? No. Odolwa's, Goht's, Gyorg's, or Twinmold's Mask? No. Majora's Mask? NO. Captain's Hat? No, all the Stalchildren are in the graveyard. Garo's Mask? Might work, but if any Garo sees me, I'll be thrown back in here. Gibdo Mask? Now this will do it!" He put on the Gibdo Mask. He turned to Tael. "Well, do I look like a Gibdo?"  
  
Tael laughed. "You look like an imp with a bad mask on your face!"  
  
Skull Kid scowled beneath his mask. "Link said that this thing worked on all the Gibdos and Redeads he had to fight back in Ikana."  
  
"You think it's hard to fool something with a half-rotted brain? I bet you a thousand rupees that you'll be thrown back in here the minute a Gerudo sees you."  
  
Skull Kid should have stopped, since Tael was probably right. Instead, he said, "I bet a million rupees that I won't get caught!"  
  
"You're on!"  
  
Skull Kid backed up then jumped off the windowsill, rolling onto the ground right in front of one of the Gerudo. He gulped. She frowned and said, "What are you doing lying down on the ground? Get back to your post." She continued her round.  
  
Skull Kid got up and stared after her. "It actually worked!" he said.  
  
Tael couldn't believe it. "No way…the brainwashing must have made the other Gerudo stupider or something!"  
  
"You owe me one million rupees."  
  
"But I don't have a million rupees! You have all the money!"  
  
"Oh yeah. Well, forget it then. Let's go inside." They headed for the main entrance to the castle/fortress, ignoring the other entrances. He was now in the castle's main hall. There was a group of Redead in here, shambling about in the sunbeam coming through the ceiling. Around the skylight were four pillars. The room had four doors, one for each side of the hall. The one behind Skull Kid was how he had gotten in. The ones to the left and right were rolling doors and looked they went to other places in the fortress/castle. A hallway straight ahead led to another rolling door. The rolling door at the end of the hallway obviously led to someplace important, since it was more ornate.  
  
As Skull Kid stepped forward, the Redead noticed him. He gulped as the horrendous masked zombies looked over him. Then one of them said, "Whaaat aaarrre yooouuu doooiiinnng heeerrre? Whyyy aaarrre yooouuu nooot aaat yooour pooossst?"  
  
Skull Kid thought quickly. "Um…I mean, uuummm, thhheee booossssss caaallleddd mmmeee."  
  
The Redead started back for their sunbeam. "Ooohhh, whyyy diiidn't yooouuu sssaaayyy sssooo? Yooouuu caaan gooo ooon throoouuugh. Weee'll juuust geeet baaack tooo ooouuur daaanciiing." And so they did, performing a very strange dance Skull Kid had never seen before and never wanted to see again.  
  
He walked past the dancing zombies and went through the ornate rolling door. He was in another hall. This one was huge and brightly lit by two large windows higher up. At the back of the room, atop a small set of stairs, was a throne. Sitting on the throne was what looked like a huge Iron Knuckle, but without an axe. Its armor was also slightly different from that of your average Iron Knuckle. It had spiked boots instead of metal slippers with pointy, curled toes. The jointed spiky armor skirt protecting the lower body completely went around the legs and had a sash belt with Gerudo patterns painted on it. A huge metal vest that covered everything on the torso and back, even the shoulders, protected its upper body. The arms had spiked elbow pads and gauntlet fists. The helmet had no horns and was wider than larger than usual. Standing in front of the Iron Knuckle with their backs to him were two greenish-skinned old ladies, each with black robes and a black jewel on a headband. Skull Kid recognized them as Koume and Kotake, from the swamp's Tourist Info Center Boat Cruise and the Magic Hags Potion Shop. What were they doing here? And how come they both had tacky black jewels instead of their ordinary red and blue ones? The only way he could tell the twins apart were by their hairnets, which were red or blue, showing which sister was which. Koume turned around and giggled. "Oh, Kotake, look who's here!"  
  
Kotake turned around as well and giggled. "Oh yes, it's a little Skull Kid who thinks we're stupid enough to be fooled that pathetic mask!"  
  
Skull Kid gulped. Koume glared at him. "What are you doing intruding in our castle?"  
  
"Um…"  
  
"You came to free them from our spell, didn't you?!" screeched Kotake.  
  
"Er…" said Tael.  
  
"Well, it's not going to work, is it sister?" asked Koume.  
  
"No sister, it's not." answered Kotake.  
  
"So, how shall we deal with him?"  
  
"Boiling oil?"  
  
"Branding?"  
  
"Brainwashing?"  
  
"Whipping?"  
  
"Watching us take a bath?" suggested Kotake. Skull Kid and Tael shuddered at that last one.  
  
Koume shook her head. "No, no, I'm not in that kind of mood. Got anything else?"  
  
"Well, we could use him…" said Kotake, pointing to the huge Iron Knuckle.  
  
Koume cackled. "Excellent! Let's set up!" Both witches snapped their fingers. There was a poof and smoke, and then both witches were hovering high in the air on their broomsticks.  
  
Kotake pointed to the Iron Knuckle. "You! Destroy this intruder on our behalf!"  
  
The Iron Knuckle grunted and got to its feet. It snapped its fingers, and its giant battleaxe appeared in its hands. It began to stomp towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid put away the mask, knowing it wouldn't help. Tael quickly targeted the walking suit of armor. Skull Kid shot it with an arrow. No effect. He shot it with the hookshot. No effect. He hurled the Icerang. No effect. He slammed the Gigaton Hammer on the ground, sending out a wave of fire. No effect. The Iron Knuckle kept coming. "Tael, how do I kill this thing?" Skull Kid yelled frustrated.  
  
"You have to hit it with a powerful attack. Either bombs or your dagger will do. Do we have any Bombchu?"  
  
"Let me check." Skull Kid rummaged through his pack. The Iron Knuckle kept getting closer. It was a good thing the metal vest weighed it down, and that the hall was so large. The witches were getting bored. "Get moving!" Koume yelled to the Iron Knuckle, who tried to move faster, but failed.  
  
"Do something! We're getting bored!" Kotake yelled to Skull Kid.  
  
"Aha! We do have some Bombchus! I can't believe I forgot we had Bombchus." He looked up and saw the Iron Knuckle looming over him, about to cut his head off with its battleaxe. Skull Kid jumped to the side, dodging the chop. Skull Kid ran around to the Knuckle's back and stabbed a few times with his dagger, causing damage. He backed away quickly as the Iron Knuckle slowly turned around. He took out a Bombchu and placed on the ground, aiming for the Knuckle with Tael's targeting. The explosive rodent scurried over to the Knuckle, where it exploded on contact. The Knuckle grunted and kept coming, though its armor was marred and its sash burnt by the explosion. Skull Kid let out another Bombchu, and another. They scurried over to the Knuckle and exploded, causing more damage. The Knuckle's armor was scorched, and the sash completely burnt. Skull Kid let out yet another Bombchu. As it exploded, the Iron Knuckle's vest fell to pieces, showing its torso, which was still armored but mostly with chain mail. Unfortunately, though it was now able to be defeated, it also moved faster. It ran towards Skull Kid, who quickly prepared another Bombchu. It exploded on contact only meters away from Skull Kid, showing the Knuckle's new speed. The witches cheered. Skull Kid saw he would have to be more careful and stop using bombs. He ran towards the Knuckle, rolling under its swipe. He thrust his dagger into the chain mail. The Knuckle screamed and knocked Skull Kid away. As it came racing towards him, raising its axe, Skull Kid had a brilliant idea. He reached into the pack and pulled out the Goron Mask, slapping it on.  
  
The witches were astonished. "He…he can use magic?" wailed Koume.  
  
"Our guardian servant might not be able to stand up to this." Moaned Kotake.  
  
The Iron Knuckle, being a mindless suit of armor, did not seem to notice any change in its target. It kept coming. Skull Kid wound up his fist and punched, hitting the Iron Knuckle square in the proverbial face. The Knuckle staggered back a few steps, then dropped to its knees. The battleaxe fell to the ground and was engulfed in blue flames, as was the Knuckle. As it burned, bits of armor fell off and immediately burned up in blue flames. As the armor fell off and burned up, Skull Kid was able to see that something was inside the Knuckle. It wasn't just an empty suit of armor! When all the armor was gone, the figure fell to its hands, then got to its feet, confused. "What am I doing in my throne room? What's going on?" asked the skeleton Igos du Ikana, King of the Dead.  
  
Koume and Kotake flew closer, furious. "You've ruined one of our finest cases of brainwashing, you stupid imp!" shrieked Koume.  
  
"What should we do with the skeleton? Kill him?" asked Kotake.  
  
"No, no, he can still serve the Great Ganondorf. We can kill him when his usefulness is at an end." Said Koume.  
  
"Hey, he's getting away! Not so fast!" yelled Kotake.  
  
Igos was running for the door. Just as he reached it, Koume and Kotake each hurled a bolt of red or blue magic, striking Igos. He screamed and was suddenly trapped in a big orange crystal, which floated into the air above the room. The witches turned to Skull Kid. "Now as for you…" hissed Koume.  
  
"We'll burn and freeze you to death!" hissed Kotake.  
  
"My fire will burn you to your bones!" shrieked Kotake. She grew to twice her size, her hair igniting into a plume of flame, which smoldered from its extreme heat.  
  
"My frost shall freeze you to your soul!" screeched Kotake, growing to twice her size, her hair turning into a plume of dry ice, which gave off smoke from its extreme cold.  
  
They flew in circles over Skull Kid's head for a moment before circling the room. Skull Kid wasn't sure who to target first. He knew that each witch was weak to the opposite element that they represented, in other words, their own attacks could be used against them. But Skull Kid didn't want to get hit from behind while he was trying to launch an attack of his own. He knew the witches were too high for his Gigaton Hammer's flame, but he could use the Icerang on Koume. When Koume flew slightly lower, hovering in place, Tael targeted her, allowing Skull Kid to throw the Icerang. The cold weapon hit Koume, causing her to shriek and fly higher up. He grinned. Then Tael jingled in alarm. Skull Kid turned around and saw Kotake powering up her attack. A white spell circle with the symbol of Water in the center swirled in the air over Kotake's right hand. The bristle of her broomstick turned to ice. Still hovering, she got off her broomstick in midair, turned it so she was holding the front end, raised the broomstick high over her head, then swung it down, firing an ice blast at Skull Kid. He was able to deflect the attack with his Mirror Shield. He quickly targeted Koume, the ice blast striking her. She shrieked. Kotake stopped her attack and got back on the broomstick, which had returned to normal. The witches circled Skull Kid some more. Finally, Koume came a little closer. She extended her right hand and began to chant. An orange spell circle appeared in midair over her hand, the symbol for Fire on it. The bristle end of the broomstick ignited. She got off her broomstick in midair, raised it over her head, and brought it down, flaming end towards Skull Kid, launching a powerful blast of fire at him. Skull Kid deflected with his shield, targeting Kotake. The fire blast hit her, and she shrieked. Koume stopped firing and got back on her broomstick. The twins kept repeating this, throwing powerful attacks at Skull Kid and getting hit back. Koume got the worst of it, since Skull Kid kept throwing the Icerang at her. She always tried to dodge it, and sometimes she did, but she could never dodge the Icerang's returning strike. Finally, she had enough. "Come on Kotake, let's get serious!"  
  
"Oh, okay Koume." She said.  
  
The twins flew closer, right over Skull Kid. They flew right next to each other and started flying in circles, each right after the other, faster and faster until they collided with a flash of light. When the glare cleared, Skull Kid stared in shock at what they had become. It was a ten-foot tall woman. She looked younger than either Koume or Kotake. She had a blue slipper on her right foot and a red slipper on her left. Her green legs were exposed from the ankle to the knee, where they were then covered by baggy parachute pants. She had a silk belt with a sash coming down from the clip. The left side of the sash was blue and the right side was red. A Gerudo symbol in red and blue was on the sash. She had a black top, but it went only up to covering up her…support. The rest was exposed. Her arms had black cut-off sleeves, with long trailers for either one. In either hand she held the now-smaller brooms by their handles. The bristles for either one had transformed. The one in her left hand was a plume of smoking dry ice. The one in her left hand was a plume of smoldering fire. Her face was younger, with lipstick and eyeliner. Part of her hair had been done into curls that dangled over her ears. She wore a huge tacky black jewel in her headband. Her hair was parted, each part ending in a hairnet. The one on her left side turned into a plume of smoking dry ice, while the one on her right side turned into a plume of smoldering flame. Skull Kid and Tael winked. The new being flipped away in midair, then shrieked, "Koume and Kotake's Double Dynamite Attack! Twinrova!" She hovered backwards, floating towards the throne.  
  
Tael fluttered over to Skull Kid. "Hey Skull Kid, I have an idea," he whispered.  
  
"Does it help with this new thing we have to fight?" he asked.  
  
"Yes. Remember what Garo said? That the witches may not be our true enemy?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Well, I thought the old Koume and Kotake were actually pretty nice ladies. Maybe Garo was trying to tell us that Koume and Kotake are also brainwashed!"  
  
"How does that help us? It just means I can't afford to hurt them!"  
  
"I think that black jewel keeps them brainwashed. It's too tacky to be used for anything else. Maybe if we break it, they'll return to normal!"  
  
"Works for me. I think I can take her down." Said Skull Kid. Twinrova floated above the throne. "Quick, target her!"  
  
"Right!" Tael quickly flew over to the witch.  
  
She crossed her arms, then raised the fire broom over her head. She lowered it, firing a blast of fire at the imp. Skull Kid quickly raised his shield. Instead of deflecting like he had expected, the Mirror Shield absorbed the blast. The shield now had a patch of red on its surface and was making noises like it was powering up, even though the sound didn't get any louder or faster. Twinrova flew over Skull Kid to a different part of the room. She crossed her arms then raised the ice broom above her head. She lowered it, firing a blast of ice at Skull Kid. Skull Kid tried to block it, but that turned out to be a big mistake. The ice magic and the fire magic reacted, exploding and knocking Skull Kid backwards. The shield lost the fire energy it had saved up. As Skull Kid got to his feet, Twinrova flew over his head again. She crossed her arms, then raised the ice broom. She lowered it, sending a blast of ice towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid caught it with his shield, absorbing it. Twinrova flew again, then shot a blast of flame. Skull Kid quickly jumped out of this one's way. The blast hit the ground, melting the tiles and exposing the dirt beneath. Igos groaned form his crystal. Twinrova flew again, then shot a blast of ice towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid caught it with his shield. It was absorbed, making the white patch on the shield's surface larger and making the power-up sound louder and more frequent. Twinrova shot Skull Kid with twelve blast of fire before finally using another ice attack. Skull Kid caught it. His shield's surface was completely white. Skull Kid quickly moved closer to Twinrova. The power- up sound was continuous, then ended as a huge blast of frost shot from the shield. Twinrova gasped and fell to the ground as it hit her. She fell to her hands, panting. Now was his chance! Skull Kid stabbed the jewel on her forehead, shattering it. Twinrova reared back, screeching. She glowed, then vanished, turning into a small flame and a small cloud of frost. The two flew through the air, landing in the middle of the room, where they reformed as Koume and Kotake. Koume moaned. "Ohhhh…what hit me?" She looked around. "Hey Kotake, where are we? This doesn't look like the swamp…"  
  
Kotake frowned. "What's going on here? You! Little imp! Where are we?"  
  
"You're in Gerudo/Ikana Canyon." Said Skull Kid truthfully.  
  
Koume gasped. "How did we get here?"  
  
"Uhhhh…you both drank too much of Koume's new potion and lost your memories, flew all the way over here, and thought you were strip dancers for the last three weeks until I restored your memory?"  
  
They stared at him. "Hmm. Sounds perfectly reasonable to me, eh Koume?" said Kotake.  
  
Koume sighed. "Kotake, how many times have I told you not to use too much mushroom in your potions? It's dangerous!"  
  
Kotake shrugged. "Sorry. I'm only four hundred years old, you know. Things slip my mind."  
  
Koume growled. "Kotake, we're four hundred ten years old! You're getting senile."  
  
"Am not! Just because I frequently forget important details such as my memory or that nobody wants to see me without underwear does not mean I'm senile!"  
  
"Yes it does! Kotake, come on, you're starting to embarrass me! Why haven't you used that memory potion I made for you?"  
  
"What memory potion?"  
  
"The memory potion I made for you on that day three weeks ago! You are getting senile!"  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"You are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am…um…what were we talking about again?"  
  
Koume sighed. "Nothing. C'mon Kotake, I'll take you home. I have a special potion I want you to try…" The twins conjured their brooms and flew through one of the windows.  
  
Igos' crystal floated to the floor and vanished, freeing Igos. He strode forward, eager at his freedom. "Ah, thank you young imp, for saving me from the clutches of those witches."  
  
"It's nothing, great Sage." Said Tael.  
  
Igos stared blankly. "Sage? I'm not a Sage!"  
  
The two stared crestfallen. "You're not?" asked Skull Kid disappointedly.  
  
"No, of course not! I'm the king of a bunch of people who don't quite have fully working brains, I don't have time to be a Sage."  
  
"But then who did the demon who's controlling this area take back to the temple along with Nabooru?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Um…hmm…let's see…sorry, I don't recall." They groaned.  
  
A Gerudo in a uniform burst in. "What's going on here? Where are those two brainwashers? Where's Nabooru? I'll…" She suddenly noticed Skull Kid and Tael. "Men! What are you doing here? Oh well. Better alert the guards." She was about to call for backup when Igos grabbed her arm.  
  
"Aveil, it's all right. They are the ones who drove away the witches and saved my life. If anything, they should be rewarded."  
  
Aveil paused. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
Aveil sighed. "Well, with Nabooru out, I guess you're the best thing I have to a superior." She turned to Skull Kid and handed him a piece of paper. "Here you go kid. It's a Gerudo Membership Card. If you show it to the girls, they won't do anything nasty with you."  
  
"Thanks. I've got to get to the temple to save Nabooru. How do I get there?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Aveil smiled. "You're trying to save Nabooru? That makes you okay in my book. All you have to do is climb up the watchtower next to the big portcullis and tell the girl there I sent you. She'll let you through. But you don't want to stay for lunch?"  
  
Skull Kid shook his head. "No thanks. Gotta go save the world and all that. But thanks anyway." He left the throne room. When the Redead saw him, they prepared to attack. Skull Kid waved his new card in their faces and they backed down. He repeated the process with all the Gerudo and other guards outside until he finally reached the worker atop the watchtower.  
  
She looked at his card, trying to guarantee its authenticity. "And Aveil said you could go through?" she asked suspiciously. Skull Kid nodded. "Well, I don't know…" she said.  
  
Tael got fed up. "Look, just let us through, okay?"  
  
She frowned at him, as did Skull Kid. Skull Kid quickly said, "Uh, he hasn't eaten lunch so he's kind of cranky. I'll just go back to the Fortress to eat. I'm sure Aveil would be happy to know you're disobeying her orders." He started for the ladder.  
  
The worker stopped him. "No, wait, I'll open the portcullis! Just don't tell Aveil anything!" She clapped her hands. The portcullis lifted. Skull Kid started for the ladder and she stopped him once again. "Wait. Before you go, I must tell you of the two trials of the desert. They are…"  
  
"Yes, yes, I know. The River of Sand and the Phantom Guide. Thank you for all your help."  
  
"Just one more thing. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT travel at night."  
  
Skull Kid nodded, then climbed down the tower and headed through the portcullis. He glared at Tael. "As for you…"  
  
"What? What'd I do?"  
  
"You were quite rude back there. May I ask why?"  
  
"Well, it's just, well, we're running out of time here! Rauru said it would take a week to make a round trip across the desert, and it would probably be a bad idea to navigate at night! I just want us to use every second we can get."  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "That's commendable, but good manners are still important. Besides, we have plenty of time. I'm not going to lollygag, but I'm not going to spend every second of spare time travelling. I doubt it will take that long to reach the Castle Town afterwards, and then we'll have plenty more time to prepare for our final battle with Majora. Relax. You know, you're getting more like Tatl. Link said Tatl was as worried about timing as you are becoming now. Don't worry so much." With that, they headed into the desert, passing between the two Gerudo flagpoles. As soon as they did, a sandstorm kicked up. They struggled to get through it, keeping their eyes on the flagpoles that led them on the right path. They could only go so far, as night soon fell and the sandstorm still hadn't stopped. Struggling, Skull Kid tried to set up the tent without it getting blown away. He used his Gigaton Hammer to pound unlit bombs tied to the tent corners into the sand to anchor the tent. Soon, their shelter was set up and wind free, though they could hear it just outside. They went to sleep. It took them three more days to cross the desert. They had to get through the River of Sand using the hookshot to grapple from crate to crate on small islands in the middle of the vast quicksand pit. They had to follow a long line of flags to a hut. They had to follow an even longer trail led by a Poe, who was considerate enough to let them stop at night. But finally, finally, they made it. They walked through the last set of flagpoles into the sandstorm free area, encircled by a huge rock formation. It was littered with old, fallen pillars and such. A large rock obscured the view directly in front of Skull Kid. Flagpoles were everywhere. Skull Kid walked around the mesa, trying to see what was behind it. When he did, he wondered how he hadn't been able to see it before. It was huge. It was tall. It was the Stone Colossus.  
  
What dangers await Skull Kid and Tael inside the dreaded Stone Colossus Temple? And who is the last new Sage? Find out next time! 


	11. Scaling the Stone Colossus

Hiyee! Me once again. Sorry about the length of the last author's note and the title of the chapter. I couldn't think of anything better, I swear! Now, on to the Colossus! Oh by the way, Skull Kid won't need the Elegy of Emptiness. Why? Because I hate it! Not the tune itself, but what it does! Those statues are just plain creepy.  
  
Disclaimer: ugh.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Skull Kid and Tael stared in awe at what was on the far side of the enclosure. Jutting from the rock formation was a massive, gigantic pillar of rock. A monolith, a tower, a colossus. It was the Stone Tower merged with the Stone Colossus. However, it looked more as if the tower was placed atop the Colossus. A narrow stone bridge leading from the base of a pi- shaped rock led up to the mouth of a huge statue carved into the face of the colossus, just above a door at the base of the colossus. The statue was big, with the body and form of a Gerudo woman's upper body. The outstretched hands merged into the rock on either side of the statue. The face was the only marring feature. Instead of that of a Gerudo, it was the face of the strange monster that is carved into most of the pillars and stone blocks around Ikana. The mouth was wide open, and the path led from it, like an extremely long tongue. Skull Kid had to make a decision. He could either go in through the main door or he could take the high road. After a few moments, he chose the high road. He walked to the base of the pi rock and started up the path. The whole thing looked like it could crumble at any moment, but was sturdier than it looked. He reached the mouth of the hideous statue. Shuddering, he went inside and found it was even more amazing. He was standing inside of a huge, hollow shaft that went thousands of feet up and went miles down. Skull Kid could not see the bottom. What was cooler was that the Spirit Temple interior was still there, but with no walls! All the rooms and now-wafer thin floors were there, but no walls, except for the fabled Wall of Death, which still exited. Skull Kid saw he was right above a twisting bridge that went over two huge stone blocks that were set in the floor but did not fall that led to a huge platform. Stairs led from the bridge to the floor, which was around a huge statue much like the one outside, except this Gerudo was intact and sitting, her legs crossed. Also, a cobra slithered up the statue's body, merging with the head to form a Gerudo with a cobra's hood. Except the statue had no face. In its place was a large indentation with a metal grating that had a door behind it placed in the middle of the indentation. There were two empty ledges floating in midair on either side of the statue, neither of them wobbling. Two platforms were on the near end of the room as well. Both had staircases winding to higher platforms which led to more rooms. Skull Kid looked down and up and around and saw more and more of the Spirit Temple interior. He looked straight up and saw the many ledges and blocks of Stone Tower. All of the ledges were wafer-thin as well. He knew the true temple was at the very top, meaning a very long climb. It would be made worse by the boulders constantly raining down from above. Right in front of Skull Kid was a floating block that looked like those weird blocks normally found in Stone Tower, except it seemed to have a crescent moon and star carved into it as well, the Gerudo standard. The block looked just in Skull Kid's jumping range. He made the leap, grabbing onto the block's edge. He pulled himself up and saw another block, which he jumped to as well. In front of that was a platform hanging by chains from the Spirit Temple's fourth floor. Jumping to that, Skull Kid saw one more block on the other side of the platform. Skull Kid jumped to that then wondered what he had to do now. He looked at the grate and had an idea. Using his hookshot, he pulled himself over to the grate, which automatically retracted, allowing access to the door behind it. Skull Kid walked across the small platform behind the statue, noting the pillars and empty throne. He walked down the narrow bridge behind the throne and entered the next platform, which was quite larger. It was square, with five towering blocks decorated in serpent carving jutting from the floor, four clustered around the sides of the much bigger middle block. Skull Kid climbed up the handholds on the middle block and saw that he had reached the far wall. There was a switch on the platform. He stepped on it, causing one of the floating blocks to move to a new, higher position. He looked around for a way to get to the next level. He saw a higher ledge, also wafer-thin, with a hookshot target. He grappled up to it and saw a switch. He stepped on it, sending another block up. He looked to his right and saw another higher ledge with a hookshot target. He grappled up to it and found he was level with the two floating blocks, which led to another ledge across the chasm. Another switch lay in front of Skull kid. He stepped on it, sending the last block to the new bridge. Skull Kid jumped from block to block, finally reaching the next ledge. There was nothing on it. To his right was yet another higher ledge with a hookshot target. He grappled to it and saw a switch. He stepped on it. One of three blocks stored in an empty wall moved out and floated to a new position. Skull Kid looked up and saw another hookshot ledge. He grappled up and hit the switch there, activating another floating block. He saw boulders rolling out of the walls, so he knew he had to be careful. There was a higher ledge jutting far out of the wall with a hookshot target, but the target was a little out of range. Skull Kid had to move awfully closer to where the boulders came out before he could grapple to the ledge. It was level with the two floating blocks, which led to another platform on the other side. Skull Kid stepped on the switch near the edge, activating the last block in the bridge. Skull Kid jumped across to the platform and grappled to a ledge on his right. Surprisingly, there was no switch. He saw another ledge all the way in the middle of the way across the chasm with a target right at the edge. It was fortunate that this was a long ledge. Skull Kid walked to the edge of it and fired his hookshot, hoping the target was in range. It was, barely. He climbed onto the ledge and saw another hookshot target on a higher ledge just above him. He grappled to it, then grappled to the last platform, which was on the back wall but just in range. The ledge had three switches, and was directly across from the final platform. Skull Kid looked across and saw the temple entrance. It was a huge misshapen head, colored obscenely. Its mouth was the door. The tongue lolled out to the edge of the ledge. Its eyes were hollow with torches in them. Two huge torches flanked the entrance. The top of the tower was in sight, the walls ending just above and around. The last three blocks floated right in front of the ledge. Skull Kid stepped on the switches in this order: middle, right, left. The blocks rearranged themselves, forming a bridge to the temple. Skull Kid jumped from block to block, finally reaching the tongue, which he was able to grab onto after the final jump. He looked down from the tongue and saw something strange on its edge. It looked like a red jewel in a gold setting that made it look like a scarab. He climbed up the tongue and ran through the mouth, entering the Stone Colossus Temple. He was in a large courtyard. The back wall had a huge carving of a monster's head. A shallow pit lay in the center of the courtyard, with a ladder leading gown into it and a platform rising from it. A bridge led from the platform to a door in the back wall, but there was no way to get to the platform. Strangely enough, there was a locked door just underneath the bridge, but it did not touch the ground. Rather, it touched the bridge's underside, making it an upside-down door. Real Bombchu scurried about and a couple of Dragonflies buzzed through the air. Skull Kid was able to kill the enemies with Tael's help, giving him unfettered access to the courtyard. Skull Kid looked up and saw that leading from the ceiling of the corridor of the temple entrance was a bridge that went up and connected with two horizontal bridges that went over the two other doors in the room. A ledge from the bridge on the right led to an inaccessible door that was right above the door on the right wall, since it was all upside-down. There was a fenced-in ledge with a switch to the right of the left bridge, and another ledge with a door on the back wall straight ahead from that. It was quite confusing to figure out why the temple builders would have put inaccessible doors and walkways in the temple. Skull Kid decided to take the door on the left side. He did and entered a small maze-like room. A corridor went straight ahead to a fake-looking wall. To the left of the fake wall was a branching corridor leading to a switch. Opposite the switch was another branching corridor that went further down and led to another switch. On the left and right sides of that corridor were two more corridors. The one on the left turned to the right and led to a huge Goron switch. The one on the right led to an alcove with one last switch. To the left of that switch (on the west wall, since this temple faces the west. But think of it as the north wall, direction-wise) was a large Iron Gate with a courtyard behind it. Real Bombchu scurried around the small maze. Skull kid easily disposed of them then stepped on the switch to the left of the fake wall. Nothing happened. He got off the switch and it reset. He decided to try the fake wall. He blew it up with the Blast Mask and found several crates. He picked up one of the crates and placed it on the switch he had just tried, holding it in place. He then went to the right and stepped on the switch there. It did not reset when he got off of it. He then turned on a Goron to pound the Goron switch, then took off the mask and stepped on the final switch. The gate opened, allowing access to the courtyard. He saw that there were a few Dragonflies and Guay. He dropped them with his crossbow then looked around. Just above and straight ahead, on the right wall, was a ledge with a door on its underside. A normal door was on the right wall, but it was locked. On the back wall, far to the left, was a staircase. On the left wall, inaccessible, was an upside down staircase with a ledge and Deku Flower just above it, also upside-down. There were two patches of dirt on the ground. One had dead plants, the other was empty and cracked. On a hunch, Skull Kid blew up the patch with a bomb, revealing a hole. Skull Kid decided he should take the stairs instead of just jumping in. He took the stairs and found himself in a tall square room. The solid ground ended a few meters ahead, from there lava covered the distance to the back wall. Two Armos statues faced each other on the solid ground, clay vases on either side of them. Four Armos sat inert in the lava. Two Skull Kid's right was a high ledge with nothing on it. An upside-down staircase was just beneath the ledge. Just past that was another upside-down door touching the ceiling. An upside-down alcove was just across from that. The hole Skull Kid made in the courtyard led down here. A sunbeam shone through. At the back of the room, in the lava, was a large block with a sun face on it set into the wall. Skull Kid recalled Link saying that these blocks were destroyed by sunlight. He walked into the sunbeam and reflected light with his Mirror Shield onto the sun block. The instant light touched the block; it vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving behind a treasure chest. Skull Kid put on the Goron Mask and walked across the lava to the chest. He opened it to find…a Compass! He put it away and wondered where the key to open the door upstairs was. He decided to try killing the Armos. With a few Goron Punches, Skull Kid was able to kill each Armos, causing them to explode. Once all four were gone, a treasure chest appeared. He opened it, finding…a Small Key! He hated these things, but said nothing. He put it away and headed back upstairs. Once there, he took off the Goron Mask and went through the locked door. He was in yet another courtyard, this one filled with water. He was on a ledge that ran along the left wall of the room. Across the way, on the right wall, was another ledge, this one with a treasure chest. The ledges were too high to climb up to from the water, sadly. Four mines dangled from chains in the water. A door underneath the ledge with the treasure chest led to another room. A Dexihand was attached above the door. A bridge went across the middle of the room, linking the west and east walls. There was no way onto the bridge. Each side of the bridge ended in a door, but they were currently inaccessible. There were two upside-down doors on the bridge's underside. Blocking the door on the east wall was a large hunk of metal. Skull Kid decided the only way he was going to cross this room was as a Zora. He donned the Zora Mask and started swimming towards the treasure chest ledge. Just before he reached the ledge, he performed a dolphin leap, rolling onto the ledge. He opened the chest and found…a Small Key! He targeted the Dexihand from the surface and shot it with his boomerang fins, killing it. He dove back into the water and walked through the underwater door and through a corridor. He found himself in a tall square room, beneath a bridge on the surface of a pool of water. There were a few ledges and a single underwater alcove beneath the bridge on the surface, but there was nothing else of interest in the pool. He swam to the surface and pulled himself onto the bridge, taking off the Zora Mask. There were three skylights on the ceiling, sunbeams coming through each one. One of them was directly over the bridge. At the end of the bridge, to Skull Kid's right, was a corridor with a tall ceiling. To Skull Kid's left was another door, this one locked. He went down the corridor. It immediately curved right, ending in a sun block preventing further movement. There was a strange mirror in the corner where the corridor turned. It looked sort of like the scarab thing outside the temple, except this one was bigger and a mirror. It had no reflection. Staring into it, Skull Kid saw this. "What kind of mirror is this?" he asked.  
  
"This is a magic mirror made of a weird kind of glass. If you shine light on it, it absorbs the light instead of merely reflecting it. When you stop shining, it sends all the light out for a short amount of time, depending how long you shined light on it. You can probably use it to destroy the sun block over there." Said Tael.  
  
Skull Kid walked back to the Sun Beam and reflected light onto the mirror. It glowed. Skull Kid shone light onto it for a few minutes then stopped. A beam of light shot from the mirror. Skull Kid ran over and stepped into the beam, deflecting the sunlight at the block with the Mirror Shield. The block vanished, revealing a door and an alcove. Skull Kid checked the alcove and found a treasure chest with…the Dungeon Map! Skull Kid put it away and went through the door. He found himself back in the main courtyard. He went back into the room with the weird mirror and unlocked the door on the other side of the bridge. He was in a rectangular room. Right in front of him was a rusted switch. In the middle of the room was a diamond-shaped pillar with a weird mirror on each side. Another weird mirror was placed on the wall to the left of the pillar. A sun block was set into the black wall. Black Boes and Nejirons were scattered around the room, and rushed to attack Skull Kid. As the enemies came close, Skull Kid had an idea. He pulled out the Gigaton Hammer and waited for them to get close. When they were in range, he hit the switch with his hammer, activating it and sending out a wave of fire that engulfed the enemies. The Black Boes vanished into black flame, and the Nejirons exploded. As a result from the activation of the switch, a hole opened in the ceiling above Skull Kid, letting sunlight in. Skull Kid saw he now had a method to get rid of the sun block. He reflected a sunbeam towards the bottom right mirror on the pillar, charging it up. He waited for several minutes, then lowered his shield and ran over to the beam of light now emanating from the mirror. He stood in the beam and reflected sunlight towards the mirror on the wall, knowing he didn't have much time. As the light from the current mirror faded, Skull Kid ran over to the beam of light emanating from the wall mirror and quickly reflected it towards the sun block. The block vanished in a flash of blue light. Skull Kid ran through the door behind it. He was now in yet another courtyard, but this one was different from the others. He was standing on a platform rising from the ground, which was completely covered in lava. There were several metal gratings on the wall and running over the lava. A thick wall went through the wall on Skull Kid's left and went through the lava, stopping near the far wall. It seemed Skull Kid would have to cross this expanse of lava. A window in the wall allowed him to see his destination, the platform on the other side, which had a door at its far end. However, the platform had no ladder, meaning Skull Kid could not just walk across the lava as a Goron then climb up. He noticed a Deku Flower at the edge of his platform and suddenly realized what he had to do. The problem was, he could never make it all the way around the wall using the power of a single Deku Flower. Then he saw the pipes rising from the lava. Gusts of hot air rose from the pipes. Skull Kid suddenly saw his way across. His Deku Scrub body was light enough to be carried along by the gusts. If he flew into one, it would allow him to fly farther, like it was another Deku Flower. However, he would have to be very, very careful. He put on the Deku Mask and burrowed into the flower. He popped out and flew for the nearest pipe. His flower power was running out. He ran out just as he got over the pipe, dropping, only to be buoyed up by the hot air, allowing him to fly to the next pipe. He did this twice more before finally landing on the platform. He pulled off the Deku Mask and walked through the door on the platform. He was in a square room with a hole in the ceiling. On the left wall was a barred door. There were two upside-down doors as well, one on the left wall, one on the right. As Skull Kid stepped forward, iron bars sealed the door behind him. He looked behind, then around him, trying to see where his opponent was. Then he saw movement through the hole in the ceiling. Something was on the roof of the temple. It jumped down, allowing Skull Kid to get a good look. It looked like a Garo, but bigger. It had purple robes that were not as worn as the Garos. Its swords were flaming. It had a golden mask over its nonexistent face. "What are you?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
The creature chuckled. "I am Garo Master, former leader of the Garo ninjas! I have been assigned by the great Majora to guard the treasure of this temple. And guard it I shall. Prepare to die!" Garo Master lunged at Skull Kid. Skull Kid blocked. The Garo Master backflipped and started hopping around. Whenever Skull Kid tried an attack, Garo Master blocked it with his own swords. Finally, the ninja swiped outwards with his swords, almost hitting Skull Kid. Garo Master kept charging, swiping his blades. Skull Kid kept backflipping away. Finally Garo Master jumped high in the air vanishing. Skull Kid saw a shadow appearing over him and jumped out of the way as the Garo Master performed a downward thrust. While Garo master was temporarily not moving, Skull Kid performed a jump attack, tearing through the cloak. Garo Master flipped away surprised. "Perhaps I underestimated you…" he muttered. "I should have taken that offer of enhanced power I was offered. Well, I know I will now. Before I leave, I give you a clue: To activate the blood-stained emblem outside of this temple, shoot it with the object in this temple that flashes like concentrated sunlight." The Master bowed. "Until we meet again…" He threw a Deku Nut to the ground. When the smoke cleared, Garo Master was gone. The bars over the doors retracted.  
  
A treasure chest appeared in the middle of the room. "Huh, I thought that would be harder." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Ditto. You don't think we should be worried by what he said about getting stronger?" asked Tael.  
  
"Naw, I'm sure we can handle him. Come on, let's see what cool weapon is in that chest." Skull Kid walked over to the chest and opened it, finding…a shield? "Hey, this isn't a weapon!" He looked at the shield. It was different than any shield he had ever seen before. It looked slightly like the Mirror Shield, but only because it was round and had a face engraved on it. However, instead of a grimace of despair, it had a refreshing grin. It also had these weird twisting metal rays extending from the sides. Actually, it looked a lot like the sun faces on the sun blocks, but happier! The mirror part of it had no reflection, just like the weird mirrors from before. As he held it in the sunbeam from the ceiling, it started to glow slightly, turning golden. "Huh? What's happening to this thing?"  
  
"Skull Kid, the way that the shield looks like a sun and its reaction to light…this confirms my suspicions. This is actually the legendary Solar Shield!"  
  
"The what?"  
  
"It's a shield made from the same glass as the weird mirrors from before. It absorbs sunlight, or any bright light such as sparks or high- intensity fairy light for that manner, and is stored up inside of the mirror. If you will look on the back, you will see three things: a gauge, a small squeeze handle for where your hand would be if you slipped your wrist through the normal handle, and a knob with three settings. Is the gauge pointing to the smiling sun face?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"Then leave it in the sunlight for a moment until the glass turns golden." They did. A few minutes later, the mirror turned golden, making it look like a sun face. Skull Kid picked up the shield and flipped it over, seeing that the gauge was now at maximum. "The gauge tells you how much energy is in your shield. You can pull the handle to release some of it. Go on, try it!"  
  
Skull Kid took off his Mirror Shield and placed the Solar Shield on his arm. He walked outside of the sunbeam and aimed for a point on the wall. He squeezed the handle, causing a beam of light to come softly from the surface of the shield. "Cool!" He released the handle and the beam stopped.  
  
"Careful now. If you hold the trigger too long, you'll use up all your light. If you're using it in a dark place, that's bad. The gauge tells you how much light you have stored up. You should make sure it's fully recharged now. Go on, recharge it!"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged and did so, holding it in the light for a moment. What's the knob for?"  
  
"That changes the settings. Right now, it's set on 'beam.' The second setting is 'ray.' With that, you can concentrate your light into a powerful laser. However, it uses up more light than the beam setting. The last setting is 'blast.' With that one, you can unleash all your light in a single blast, obliterating your enemy if it is shadow-based or normal, or damaging and stunning if it is something stronger. Laser hurts and stuns too, but not as well. It's really better for smaller enemies, not bosses. Oh, and if you're out in the open, the shield will recharge itself as long as you're in the sun. Moonlight doesn't count. Got any other questions?"  
  
"Can it absorb an enemy's energy attack?"  
  
"As long as it's bright."  
  
"And lasers?"  
  
"No, lasers it just reflects. It also reflects fireballs or ice attacks. Anything else?"  
  
"Yeah, what do I do with my old Mirror Shield?"  
  
"Well, since the Solar Shield can still do all the things the Mirror Shield did except reflect, you can just leave it here."  
  
"Well, if you say so." He picked up the Mirror Shield and put it in the chest the Solar Shield had been kept in, closing it. "I hope it helps any other adventurer who comes through in the future." They walked through the door and the deep corridor with a metal grating bridge across it and found themselves back in the courtyard with the bridge and the hunk of metal blocking the door on the other side. As Skull Kid approached the hunk of metal, it suddenly got up! It unfolded into a large purple monster made of metal. It had two legs and two arms. Its upper body was a huge, single blue eye. It started stomping towards Skull Kid. "Tael, what is that?"  
  
"It's an Eyegore. Its eye is its only weak spot. You have to stun it with something bright, then shoot it with something sharp to kill it. It may take more than one hit though."  
  
"Something bright, huh? Well, target that thing and I'll give it something bright!" Tael targeted the Eyegore. Skull Kid raised his shield and fired a sunbeam at the Eyegore. Since it was just sunlight, it had no effect. Eyegore kept coming. Skull Kid quickly changed the setting to ray and fired a laser at the Eyegore. It reeled back, its eye yellow. Skull Kid shot the eye with his hookshot, damaging the metal monstrosity. It roared and went back to coming towards him. Skull Kid fired another laser followed by his hookshot, damaging Eyegore again. He did this four more times until Eyegore sat down, trembled, and exploded. The bridge clear, Skull Kid walked through the door and found himself on the previously inaccessible platform in the front courtyard. He knew he had to get back outside the temple to activate that scarab thing just beneath the entrance's tongue. He jumped into the shallow pit and climbed out using the ladder. He was back at the top of the Stone Colossus. He jumped onto one of the blocks and turned around. He lowered his shield, aiming for the red jewel, and shot it with a sunbeam. There was no visible reaction from the jewel itself or a sign of any effect at all, until the entire tower shook. Skull Kid had a sudden jolt from his instincts telling him to jump to the ledge, now. He jumped. As he did, his gravitational rotation changed in midair, twisting him around. He missed the ledge completely thanks to this and was now starting to fall towards the sky. He quickly pulled out his hookshot and fired it at a gap between the entrance's teeth. The grappling hook lodged, pulling Skull Kid up to the mouth. Skull Kid crawled into the mouth, gasping. Tael looked anxious too.  
  
"That…was horrible!" said Tael.  
  
Skull Kid gasped. "You…don't…need…to…tell…me." He recovered. He peered over the edge of the mouth and quickly pulled away, shuddering at the thought of what almost happened. "That Garo Master was trying to kill us!" he exclaimed. "If I ever see him again, I swear…" He cut himself off. He pulled out the Dungeon Map and took a look at it, surprised to see extra rooms on it. "Hey Tael, I think I've found out why all those upside-down doors were in the temple. They were for this. They meant for the temple to be flipped like this! No, the temple itself isn't really upside down, is it? It's more like our gravitational attraction to the planet's core has been reversed, nearly flinging us into space. Since we saw a lot of courtyards and skylights, now that we're upside down, if we fall of a ledge or bridge, we'll die. I wonder if the gravitational shift has affected anything inside the temple."  
  
"I'm sure that different enemies are out now and any water is gone. Also, rooms with lava will probably still cling to the ceiling, but lava will drip down from the main mass. We'll just have to be careful."  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "Well, let's get this over with. Come on." They walked into the temple. They were now on the three-way bridge. Skull Kid looked to the forks on the right and left. The fork the right had nothing but crates and the fenced-off ledge, plus the other ledge with a door. The courtyard floor was far above them. The locked door under the bridge would be accessible, if there was a hookshot target on the platform's edge, which there wasn't. The fork to his left led up and onto the wall, where it became a ledge with a door on it. He walked across the bridge and ledge and went through the door. He found himself in a corridor blocked by a sun block. He shone a sunbeam on the block and it faded. Once the block was gone, Skull Kid saw he was in the corridor where he had gotten the Dungeon Map, but on the ceiling. He walked down the corridor going right and found he was back in the room with the skylights and the pool. However, there was no pool. It had apparently all gone out through the skylights when gravity had reversed. Each of the three skylights now served as vents for hot air, just like the pipes in the lava courtyard. Skull Kid had been in too much of a rush to get to the surface last time, and now saw something extra in the room. Above the three vents, on the back wall, was a covered bridge that went along the wall. The bridge was covered on all sides, so the only access was through the doors in the rooms they connected from. There was a ledge with a few crates and a Deku Flower outside the left end of the bridge. There was a hollow alcove atop the covered bridge. The old bridge was a bit above Skull Kid's head and out of reach. It had a Deku Flower growing from the middle of it, on the top. There was an alcove on the end of the bridge at Skull Kid's end, but there was nothing in it. There was a corridor on the other end of the bridge, the one that led to the courtyard with the Eyegore. Skull Kid was not sure how he could get up onto the bridge until he saw the Deku Flower on the ledge right in front of him. He donned the Deku Mask and burrowed into the flower. He popped out and flew over to the vent on the left. It lifted him higher, allowing him onto the bridge. He dropped down and started walking across when a mask-wearing Hiploop attacked him from behind. It rammed into him, almost knocking him off the bridge. He quickly turned around to see the Hiploop preparing to charge. Skull Kid quickly ran down the bridge, the Hiploop hot on his heels. He made it to the corridor. For some reason, the Hiploop stopped chasing him and went back to patrolling the bridge. Relieved, Skull Kid went down the corridor, following it to the right. He was now back inside the courtyard with the pool. Of course, there was no water anymore. It had all fallen away. Skull Kid did not want to leave the corridor, as there was no ledge. Near the end of the corridor was a switch. He tried stepping on it, but nothing happened. Then he remembered that Deku Scrubs were too light for switches. He pulled off the mask and stepped on the switch. A treasure chest materialized in the alcove back at the other end of the bridge. Skull Kid walked back down the corridor, returning to the former pool. The Hiploop saw him and charged. Skull Kid quickly took out his Hookshot and used it to pull of the Hiploop's mask. Then he shot it twice, killing it. He walked to the other end of the bridge and opened the chest, finding…a small key! He sighed and put it away. He looked up and saw a ledge with a locked door on the right side of the room. It was very high. Skull Kid estimated that the vent on the right was the only one that would take him to the door. However, he would have to be careful, since hanging mines surrounded the ledge. Skull Kid put on the Deku Mask and spat a few bubbles at the mines, causing them to swing. He timed his bubbles, making the mines swing at different times, causing them to collide and explode. Once the ledge was clear, Skull Kid burrowed into the Deku Flower and flew off into the vent. It carried him up to the ledge, where he dropped down and unlocked the door, going through it. He was in a wide corridor with lava on the ceiling. There were two pits in the floor. Lava kept dripping down from the ceiling. Skull Kid was safe since he was just inside the door, but there seemed to be no way to cross. Then he saw the scarab ruby switch on the other side of the room, above the door. He pulled off his Deku Mask and aimed his shield at the switch, trying to send a sunbeam at it. Unfortunately, it wasn't strong enough, the distance was too far. He switched to laser and tried again. This time, he hit the jewel. Gravity was turned back to normal. Now Skull Kid could easily walk across the lava. He put on the Goron Mask and crossed the lava, then pulled off the mask at the other end. He shot the jewel with a sunbeam, reversing gravity again and allowing him to go through the door. He was in a square room with a movable stone block and a door on a platform at the other end, just like his own door. The floor was grooved, as was the ceiling. Iron bars sealed the door, and a scarab jewel was over it. There was a hole that looked like the block could fit into it in the room's upper-left corner, near the door. Skull Kid saw he would have to flip gravity multiple times while moving the block before it would get into the hole. I won't bore you with the details, but eventually he did it. His light gauge was now at one-third, but he did it. The door was unbarred, and he went through. He immediately realized that he was in the room where he had gotten the compass. The hole that he had blasted on the ceiling, which was now the floor, still had sunlight shining through it. Lava dripped down from the ceiling. Skull Kid looked around and suddenly noticed that scattered around the room were several familiar- looking blue tiles. Oh no he thought. Iron bars sealed the door behind him. One of the tiles glowed, and a strange figure emerged from it. It looked like a Wizrobe wearing a suit of armor like an Iron Knuckle. Its staff was more like a battleaxe with a flaming tip. "Tael, is that a Wizrobe?"  
  
"Sort of. It's an Iron Wizrobe, basically just a normal Wizrobe in a suit of armor in an attempt to protect itself. It's really quite easy. All you have to do is reflect the fireballs it throws at you back at it. Once the metal vest is gone, all you have to do is shoot arrows at its unprotected torso to kill it. I'll target him, you shoot."  
  
The Iron Wizrobe cackled and vanished back into the tile. It popped up moments later and started dancing around. "Can't I just shoot him now? While he's dancing?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Couldn't I just use my laser?"  
  
"Well…hey, that might work! Try it." Tael flew up to the Iron Wizrobe, who was about to throw his fire spell. Skull Kid quickly set his shield to laser and shot a laser at the Wizrobe. The laser pierced the Wizrobe's armor, coming out the other side. The Wizrobe screeched and thrashed, making the damage worse. Then the power ran out on the shield. As the laser cut off, the metal vest fell off, followed by the rest of the Wizrobe's armor, all of which burned up in blue flames. The blue, ugly magician burned up in purple flames, followed by the tiles. The door unbarred. A hookshot target appeared above the ledge that had had nothing on it originally. Now that Skull Kid's gravity was reversed, he could go through the staircase on the ledge. But first, he had to do one more thing. He walked over to the hole in the floor and held his shield over it, absorbing the light. Once it was completely full, he grappled up to the ledge and went down the stairs. He was back in the courtyard above the Compass room. Or was the proper term below it? Hard to say. He was on a ledge with a Deku Flower on it. There was a ledge at the far side of the room as well, with a door and another Deku Flower. Poes floated about aimlessly. Skull Kid turned into a Deku Scrub and burrowed into the Flower. He popped out and flew to the ledge, avoiding the Poes. Once on the ledge, he saw that he could actually reach the gate that led to that small maze. He burrowed into the Deku Flower and popped out, flying to the upside-down gate. He went inside it and took off the mask. He saw that strange new enemies were floating around the room. They looked like statues of knights, with shields embossed with the scarab symbol that had been used throughout the temple. Tael recognized these as Death Armos. There was an easy way to kill them, which he explained to Skull Kid. Skull Kid put on the Stone Mask and walked near one of the Death Armos, which did not notice him. Aiming carefully, he hit the scarab symbol on the Death Armos's shield with a sunbeam. The Armos flipped over, now upside-down. Skull Kid then took off the Stone Mask. The Armos grunted and launched itself into the ground, destroying itself. Skull Kid repeated the process with each Death Armos until they were all dead. A treasure chest materialized on the ledge with a locked door. It looked dangerous, but Skull Kid made it back using a rolling jump. He opened the chest and found…a small key! He went through the door and found himself back in the courtyard with the bridge. The bridge was now far overhead, and had a new Eyegore on it, a more aggressive one. It clomped back and forth on the bridge, firing lasers at the ground. There was a ledge underneath where the door from the corridor leading from where Skull Kid got the Solar Shield. Mines surrounded it. It had a Deku Flower. At the other side of the room was a ledge with a Deku Flower and a door. Skull Kid was on a ledge with a Deku Flower and a door on his left, at the back of the wall. This was the door that was directly adjacent to the fenced-in ledge that he had seen back in the entry courtyard. Skull Kid considered going through that door but decided to check out the door on the far side of the room first. He turned into a Deku Scrub, then blew up the mines by making them swing into each other. He then burrowed into the flower, popping out and flying to the ledge beneath the bridge. He burrowed into the Deku Flower there and made the flight to the other ledge. Finally, he reached the door and went inside. He was now inside the covered bridge in the room that had the Dungeon Map. There were a couple of Blue Bubbles flapping about. Skull Kid took off the Deku Mask and killed both Bubbles with a few blasts from his Solar Shield. He ran down the bridge and went through the door at the other end.  
  
He was in a medium-sized square room lit by torches. A door sealed by iron bars was at the other end of the room. As Skull Kid stepped forward, iron bars sealed the door behind him. One by one, every torch went out. Then, from the corners of the rooms, armored bats came, gathering into the center of the room, forming a large mass. When the bats moved out of the way, Skull Kid saw that many of them had combined to form a new monster. It was floating a few feet off the ground and wearing black armor, much like an Iron Knuckle's. It wielded a huge twin-bladed scythe. Its three eyeholes glowed red. It had a scarab jewel on its breastplate. The remaining bats swarmed around the monster, protecting their monster. The armored creature started floating towards Skull Kid, who was actually a bit scared. "Tael, please tell me what the hell this thing is!"  
  
"It's an Iron Gomess. Like a mix between an Iron Knuckle and a Gomess. You have to defeat it the same way as you would a normal Gomess, except this will take longer. You might run out of light."  
  
"I'll just use brief sunbeams. Nothing to worry about." As the Iron Gomess came closer, Tael targeted the monster. Skull Kid fired a brief sunbeam, scaring away the bats. He quickly ran forward and performed a jump attack on the scarab jewel. The monster convulsed and nearly decapitated him. Skull Kid backflipped away as the bats returned to their master. Skull Kid shot another sunbeam and performed another jump attack on the jewel. He repeated the process until the Iron Gomess's breastplate broke, revealing its torso. It was now weaker, but faster. Despite the Iron Gomess's increased speed, it was still no match for Skull Kid. He kept up the process of sunbeam and jump attack until finally, he won. The Iron Gomess was engulfed in blue flames, vanishing. The remaining bats fell to the floor, dead. The torches relit. The doors unbarred. Skull Kid panted and took a quick swig of Lon Lon Milk before going through the door at the other end of the room. Skull Kid was in an anteroom with an ornate treasure chest. Knowing what was awaiting him, he opened the chest and got…the Boss Key! He left the anteroom, went back through the room where he had fought Iron Gomess, went back through the covered bridge, and was finally back in the Eyegore room. He flew across the chasm as he did before. At the other end, he took off the mask and walked down the ledge to the door. He went through. He was on a small ledge facing another ledge. This one was fenced- in, except for the side facing him. There was a switch on the ledge, and a Death Armos floating around it. Skull Kid held his shield over the sky, letting the sunlight recharge it, then he hit the Death Armos's shield with a sunbeam, flipping it. He performed a Rolling Jump to the ledge, attracting the Armos's attention. It slammed into the ground, killing itself. Once it was dead, Skull Kid stepped on the switch. Several hookshot targets materialized on the edge of the higher platform in the middle of the room, allowing access from many angles. Skull Kid grappled up with the nearest target and pulled himself onto the platform. He walked over to the locked door at the end of the platform and opened it with his last small key. He was now on the bridge across the courtyard that used to have a pool. The Eyegore stomped towards him, firing lasers. Skull Kid kept his shield raised, switching it to laser as he walked towards the Eyegore. It kept firing lasers, only to have them deflected. When he had an opening, Skull Kid shot the monster's eye with his laser, following it up with his hookshot. After several hits, the Eyegore sat down and exploded. Skull Kid ran down the bridge and went through the door at the end. He was back in the corridor that led from where Garo Master had been. However, he was now beneath the narrow bridge and saw that there was more to this room than he had thought. There was a huge metal grating box in front of him, with a single open end. There were two spiked logs rolling along the box, one on top of it, and one inside it. There was a hookshot target far beyond the box, on the ceiling. A crystal switch was inside the box. Skull Kid shot it with his hookshot. A hookshot target materialized over the box, this one close enough for him to grapple onto. He pulled himself up to the top of the box, just after the spiked log rolled past his landing point. As the log reached the edge of the box and stopped, it began rolling back. Before it could roll over him, Skull Kid used his hookshot on the more distant target. He expected there to be a platform beneath him. There wasn't. He fell, screaming to the bottom of the corridor. Fortunately, it wasn't really that long a drop. When he hit bottom, he looked around. Just behind him was a Beamos, unaware of his presence. In front of him was the door to the Boss! He unlocked it with the boss key and went inside. He was in the room where he had fought Garo Master. There was still the hole in the ceiling, but now it was on the floor. Before going through the door on the other side of the room, Skull Kid recharged his shield by holding it over the sunlight emanating from the hole. He went through the door that was at the other end of the room and was in a very large circular room with a mammoth sunlight with a giant piece of glass covering it in the floor. In fact, the only actual floor was a small ledge that went around the perimeter of the room. Another scarab jewel was at the end. Before shooting it, Skull Kid looked up to see where he would be going. He gulped. He saw that there was no ceiling to this room. It was a shaft leading to a place he could not quite see, for it was quite far away. He moaned, knowing he would have no choice but to shoot the switch. Reluctantly, he did. When he hit the jewel with his sunbeam, his gravity shifted again, reverting to attraction to the planet. As he flipped right side up, he fell, feet first and screaming, into the shaft. It was very, very, very long drop. It seemed like he was falling for hours. He passed by many carvings on the walls as he plummeted, all of them depicting symbols that looked like the scarab jewels. After falling for a while, Skull Kid decided that this shaft must go down the entire depth of the Colossus. That meant that when he finally reached the bottom, he would go splat very hard. After another while, he noticed something else, too. He wasn't turning or twisting in the air as he fell. He was always falling feet first. That meant there must be some magic in this shaft, just like the rest of the temple. He wondered if this magic would slow down his impact so he wouldn't get hurt. He looked down and saw he was almost at the bottom. He must have fallen miles. He looked up. Despite the great distance he had fallen, he could still see the light quite clearly. The shaft was just that big. As the ground rushed closer, he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. After several minutes passed and there was no splat, he opened his eyes. He was on the ground! He was safe! He fell to his hands and kissed the ground fervently, desperately happy to no longer be falling. Once he was done, he got up and looked around. He was standing on a big stone platform with an unreadable symbol on it. He looked up and saw the shaft and the sunlight shining down on him. He looked around and saw he was in a huge, and I mean HUGE cavern. The ceiling was a mile above and the ground covered at least three miles. The floor was covered in sand, no, the floor was sand. It was like a tiny desert. Giant pillars and ziggurats littered the area. He looked around some more. "Tael, how come you didn't say good-bye to me while we were falling?"  
  
"Because I doubted you were going to die. I didn't think that the builders would have gone to this much work just to let anyone who got this far die. I was sure you would be fine, and I was right."  
  
"Ah. Hey! What's that over there?" Skull Kid was pointing to a nearby pillar. It looked like it had something chained to the middle of it.  
  
"I'll find out." Said Tael. He flew over to the pillar. A moment later he came back. "It's Nabooru! She says that the other guy is right behind us."  
  
Skull Kid turned around and saw another pillar with something chained to its middle. "That must be the new Sage. Please see who it is."  
  
Tael flew over to the pillar. A moment later, he came back. "I, I can't believe it. Who would've that that he'd be a Sage!"  
  
"Who? Who is it?"  
  
"The new Sage is…what's that noise?"  
  
They could both hear a rumbling. Then the ground started shaking. And then, one of the ziggurats exploded as something erupted from the ground beneath it. A second something erupted from the sand nearby. The things writhed out of the ground. Skull Kid and Tael stared in awe. The thing that had emerged from the ziggurat was a one thousand-foot long centipede. It was multi- segmented and flying through the air. Each segment was one fifty feet wide. It was red with a blue belly and yellow legs. Its tail ended in a large tuft with a yellow stone. The head of the centipede was large and elongated, with two great horns curving from either side of its head. It had a mouth filled with sharp teeth, flanked by two twitching mandibles. Above the mouth were three great green eyes. The monster flew through the air with great ease, along with the other centipede that had emerged from the sand, which was exactly the same as the other one except it was blue. Both demon centipedes burrowed back into the ground. Seconds later, they both erupted from the ground again, heads only, to peer at Skull Kid. The red one stared for a moment, then chittered, "Well sister, looks like we have an intruder. Shall we eat him?"  
  
The blue responded, "no, no, how about we just maul him to death instead?"  
  
The red thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, alright. I guess that'll do."  
  
The two sister demons roared and burrowed back into the ground. Skull Kid looked around anxiously, knowing they could pop up anywhere.  
  
TWINMOLD: DEMON INSECTS  
  
Skull Kid looked to his right as Red erupted from the ground nearby and started twisting through the air, heading towards him. Since she was looping in the air and moving very fast, Skull Kid knew he would need careful aim. He pulled out his crossbow and shot an arrow at Red's head. It hit, but did no damage. Her carapace was too hard. Skull Kid was suddenly knocked off his feet as Blue erupted from the ground behind him, barely missing him. The two demon insects twisted through the air, returning to the ground when their tails were starting to get close to the surface. As they both burrowed back underground, Skull Kid saw he had a shot at Blue's tail just before it went back into the earth. He fired an arrow. It hit, but still did no damage. As the two demons began to prepare to pop up somewhere else, Skull Kid knew he needed a new strategy. He got one. He pulled the Giant's Mask out of his pack and slapped it on. He suddenly felt excruciating pain as the transformation took place. He felt every bone in his body growing larger. He closed his eyes to blot out the pain as he screamed. When the pain stopped, he opened his eyes to find he was now five hundred feet tall! He could take on the demon sisters now! Tael watched in awe from the big stone platform. As Red erupted from the earth, Skull Kid ran over to where she was coming out of the ground and waited. Just when her tail tip came out, Skull Kid stabbed with his sword, hitting the vulnerable tail. A little purple blood spurted out and Red shrieked, writhing for a moment as she was already heading back into the earth, making sure that her head and tail were never above the ground at the same time. When Blue erupted from the earth, Skull Kid ran over and followed her twisting body. When she headed back to the ground, Skull Kid stabbed her head before it burrowed. Blue screeched and spurted a little purple blood. As her tail eventually reached the point, Skull Kid stabbed that as well. A moment later, both Red and Blue popped their heads from the sand. Red hissed. "That hurt my tail!"  
  
"You think that hurt, he stabbed me in the head and the tail!" complained Blue.  
  
"This is like what that Link kid did ten years ago!" chittered Red.  
  
"What do you suggest that we do to prevent what happened last time from happening again?"  
  
"How about we show him our true form?"  
  
"Yes, that'll show him!"  
  
The bugs cackled and flew out completely from the sand, twisting in the air. They flew closer to each other, flying through the loops caused by each other's coils and forming a complex knot. They squeezed each other's bodies, like some kind of hug, until they actually started sinking into each other's skins! The two sisters screeched out some sort of incantation. There was a flash of light, and there was something new in place of the two insects. It looked like Red and Blue, but there was only one of it. It was purple, and five thousand feet long, one hundred feet wide! It opened its jaws and laughed. "Puny imp! I am the demoness Twinmold, the harbinger of your doom!" Skull Kid saw that he was now too small to fight the boss. He wasn't sure what to do. Then, the ground shook, and Twinmold erupted from the ground beneath him, trying to bite into his leg! She barely missed, but succeeded in hurting him a lot by slamming into him. As she writhed through the air, Skull Kid got to his enormous feet. He saw Twinmold heading back towards him, not caring that her body was fully exposed. Skull Kid raised his shield, aiming for her face. He switched the shield to blast and squeezed the handle. The shield's surface glowed and fired a massive blast of light at the demon, striking her full on. She screeched and fell to the ground, shaking the earth. Skull Kid ran over and performed multiple jump attacks on her head. She recovered and swung her head wildly, knocking Skull Kid into one of the pillars before taking back to the air. He groaned and pulled himself to his feet. Twinmold hadn't even bled from that attack! Her carapace was too tough for his dagger at this size. Then he had an idea. He pulled off the Giant's Mask, returning to his normal size. Twinmold saw this and rushed forward, her jaws wide open. Skull Kid quickly reached into his pack and pulled out Twinmold's Mask. He slapped it on. Nothing, at first. And then…he suddenly ballooned, growing again. But not just to a hundred feet. When he was done, he was one thousand feet tall! Twinmold recoiled, surprised. Back on the ground, Tael jingled eagerly. Twinmold recovered and prepared for a new attack. Her green eyes glowed before firing a massive triple energy blast at Skull Kid. He raised his Solar Shield, absorbing each lethal blast and recharging his light meter. Aiming at Twinmold's head, he fired another blast of light. This time, it not only stunned her, but it hurt. A lot. As purple blood gushed from small ruptures all over her body, she fell to the ground with another earth- shaking thud. Skull Kid ran over and performed a dozen jump attacks on Twinmold. As the demoness recovered, Skull Kid was already hightailing it away from her. She burrowed back underground. Skull Kid didn't know where to look out for the next attack. She would probably strike from below. As the ground beneath him started to rumble, his instincts kicked in, telling him what to do. He carefully stepped away from where he had been standing and held his dagger, point down, right over where he had been standing a second ago. Twinmold erupted from the ground, impaling herself up to the hilt on Skull Kid's dagger causing purple blood to spew everywhere. She screeched in extreme pain. Skull Kid quickly pulled the dagger out of Twinmold's face as she burrowed back into the ground. A second later, Twinmold emerged from the ground once more, twisting and writhing in the air as purple blood gushed in torrents from her eye. Apparently Skull Kid had pierced her brain. The demoness froze in midair. Then, starting with her tail and working its way up, every segment of her body exploded. Her head, the only segment left, fell, imbedding itself into the ground. In a moment the head was gone as it burned up, returning to Hell. A portal appeared back on the platform where Tael was. Skull Kid carefully stomped over to one of the pillars that a Sage was chained to. He carefully nudged the pillar, lowering it closer to the ground. Then he grabbed the pillar with one hand and cut the chains with the other. The Sage fell to the ground and stood there for a few seconds, probably saying thanks. Then the figure ran for the portal. Because he was so big, Skull Kid couldn't tell whom he had freed. He repeated the process with the other Sage, then stomped over to the platform and took off the mask, returning to normal. Tael flew over to him.  
  
"Skull Kid, that was…I mean, it was…I can't think of the words to tell you how cool you are!"  
  
Skull Kid smiled. "It was nothing Tael. I just did what had to be done. Now come on, let's get to the Chamber so we can get the last Medallions and find out a little more about our next objectives." The pair went into the portal, finding themselves back in the Chamber of Sages.  
  
Rauru was on his platform as usual, smiling proudly. On the Spirit Platform were Nabooru and…the Poehunter! Who would've thought that he'd be the last Sage? Rauru gestured towards Nabooru, showing her she could now make her little speech. She cleared her throat and began. "Kid, I have no idea who you are, but I want to say thanks. It was pretty boring being chained to that pillar with nobody to talk to, since this other guy was all the way across the room. I don't have any messages for you to give the girls, but I do want to make all the hard work you've done up to you. So take this Spirit Medallion as your reward, since you're too young and of the wrong species for the other reward I would normally give you." She smiled and raised her hands. There was a flash far up, and the Medallion came twirling down from the ceiling. Skull Kid caught it and examined it. It was orange, with the Triforce symbol on the back and what looked like a Yin-Yang symbol on the front. Skull Kid put it away and turned to Poehunter.  
  
The Hinox cleared his throat. "I'm really not sure what to say. I never would have thought in a million years that I would be a Sage! Who would have known that the Stone Tower was actually built by the Hinox race and not the ancient people of Ikana? I guess this explains the Beamos and Eyegores…anyway, I want to thank you for saving my life. Since I don't think you'll be wanting one of my ghosts, take this Solar Medallion instead." He threw the Medallion in the air. Skull Kid caught and examined it. It was tan, with a Triforce symbol on the back and the symbol of Stone Tower/Colossus, the scarab jewel on the front. Rauru cleared his throat, getting Skull Kid's attention.  
  
"Skull Kid, I would like to thank you for all that you've done. However, I am not the one to tell you what is next. I will leave that up to someone else." He smiled. "That person is waiting now. I will send you to there." He raised his arms. There was a flash, and nothingness.  
  
And then…Skull Kid and Tael blinked and looked around them. They were back in the Chamber of the Crystals! Surrounding the platform they were standing on was something new. It was the Four Giants. Skull Kid saw his oldest friends and grinned. The giants bellowed, looking happy to see him. The Goddess of Time was hovering above him. "My darling son, you've grown so much in the last few weeks. I'm so proud of you! But now you must face your most difficult challenge yet. Before you can even hope to confront Majora, you must slay Ganondorf. You must head for Hymina Castle Town as fast as you can. When you are there, I shall eventually contact you to give you more details on your mission. Any questions before I send you back?"  
  
"Actually mom, I do. How come the Sages couldn't summon the dragons at previous solar equinoxes? Why does it have to happen now?"  
  
"Two reasons. First of all, for the first time in centuries, all six Sages are fully awakened. Also, the four weaker ones have secondary Sages to help lend power to the summoning. Impa and Rauru, representing the two stronger elementals, need no secondary for they're own summoning. But there is another reason as well. The four weaker dragons cannot be brought back to life without the sacrifice of four strong beings. Since four strong beings have not been available for a sacrifice, that is the other reason this has not been attempted before."  
  
"So who'd you get to play the part of sacrifice?" asked Tael. There was a silence. The four giants looked strangely saddened for some reason.  
  
Skull Kid suddenly realized why. "No…you can't mean…"  
  
"I'm sorry Skull Kid, but it is." Said the Goddess of Time sadly. "The Giants have willingly volunteered for the sacrifice."  
  
"But…but…but why?" asked Skull Kid pleadingly.  
  
"Because it is their duty." The giants mumbled in agreement.  
  
"But…but…but…but why can't they stay? Why do they have to die? Can't some other powerful beings do this?" he asked desperately.  
  
The Goddess of Time looked very sad indeed. Of course, since she was just a ball of light, it was kind of hard to tell. "They are the only ones who can do it, Skull Kid. They are the spirits, the living embodiments, of the four temples of Termina. Just like the dragons were the living embodiments of the six temples of Hyrule. Now that the lands have merged as well as the temples, the guardians must merge as well. I'm sorry."  
  
The room began to fade away. The giants bellowed their farewells. "No! No! You can't do this! Please…please no! No! NO!" Everything went white.  
  
Tael and Skull Kid rematerialized outside Stone Colossus, at the base of the statue's tongue. It was twilight. All the Leevers seemed to be asleep early. Skull Kid took a few steps forwards and fell to his knees. He lay there, crying for several minutes as the sun went down and the stars started to come out. "Skull Kid?" asked Tael, unsure of what to say to his best friend. "Skull Kid, are you…"  
  
Skull Kid pounded the ground with his fist. "My friends…my oldest friends…and they're leaving me…again…this is the third…and final time…" His eyes filled with tears, he looked to the sky, at the grinning moon. His beady eyes, still full of tears, were now full of anger and rage. The thousand years of shame and misery he had gone through, his thousand years of petty thievery and far too much angst, was rising to the surface. Every memory of that awful millennium replayed through his head, bringing more tears to the surface. He looked at the moon, grinning down at him mockingly, maliciously. How he hated the moon. How he hated the being in the moon. That being had caused him almost more pain in a single month at the end of the thousand years then he had faced throughout that entire millennium. Did he hate his mother, the Goddess of Time, for forcing him into this? No, she was only doing what was right, to preserve the lives of billions, no, trillions, definitely more than that. Did he hate the giants for leaving him once again? No, they were only doing their duty, the duty dictated to them when they had become guardians, when they had sworn to the Oath to Order. He hated the being in the moon. He hated the being that had caused so much suffering throughout eternity, the being who had done so much to Hymina, the being who was the reason for this quest in the first place. He hated the demon Majora. Still crying, Skull Kid shook his fist at the moon. "F*** you," he said, "F*** you. I swear, on my own blood, on my own soul, that I will kill you demon. I swear I will see you pay for what you have done to this land and its people. I swear I will see you pay for what you have done to my friends. I swear I will see you pay for what you have done to me. I swear I will banish you back to Hell myself. I swear your death, demon Majora. I swear it." Still crying, not saying a word to a worried Tael, Skull Kid set up his tent, crawled into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. Tael flew in, not sure what to say. He decided not to say anything. He flew onto Skull Kid's hat as always, and tried to get some sleep. But he was too sad and worried for his friend to start snoozing. Skull Kid eventually cried himself to sleep around midnight, his dreams filled with nightmares of demons and giants.  
  
Well, another chapter is finished. And I tried my hardest to make this ending as sad as possible. You may cry for Skull Kid if you wish. But I promise things will get better. As Skull Kid took an oath, so do I. This story will have a happy ending. 


	12. Loss of a friend, gain of a weapon

I am pi2, possibly the most creative Zelda author yet! Fear me! Okay, I know I'm probably not the most creative Zelda author on the site, but I've looked over the records and only found one fic with Skull Kid as a hero, and it was discontinued and really had nothing to do with any of the games. All of the other fics have Skull Kid as a minor or supporting character, nobody really important. Even on the Survivor fics, Skull Kid is always on the team with all the bad guys! Well, I've changed that! So there. Oh, and thanks for all of the good reviews! Keep them coming! And I'm not just talking to my fans out there, I mean you! The anonymous guy whose reading right now! Please leave me a good review. Join the club! And now for today's chapter.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
Three days after the Stone Colossus was released from enemy hands, a bedraggled imp and his fairy walked out of the pass from Gerudo/Ikana Canyon back onto Hymina Field. Despite the fairly cheerful expression of the imp, behind the smile he held a millennium of pain and anguish, recently brought to the surface by the news of how his four oldest friends were going to sacrifice themselves for the great cause of life. However, he had recovered somewhat over the past three days and was no longer crying. He was focused more than ever on his mission. It was fortunate that even though he had a mind greater than that of most adults, he had the soul of a child, which kept him from breaking down completely. Skull Kid looked up, trying to avoid the moon. "Hey Tael, looks like the sun's setting. We'd better set up the tent. How come it took us longer to cross the desert back?"  
  
"Probably because that lazy Poe never showed up again, so we had to find our own way back."  
  
"Lucky for me we had my innate sense of direction and instincts." Said Skull Kid proudly.  
  
"You almost walked into a quicksand pit."  
  
"I knew it was there. I was just following the path my instincts told me to follow."  
  
"Sure you were, Skull Kid. Sure you were." Skull Kid playfully batted at his best friend before setting up the tent. They got it finished and Stalfos-proofed just before nightfall. They quickly went inside and went to sleep, perchance to dream.  
  
They headed east for three days, heading towards Romani/Lon Lon Ranch. They were not cutting northeast because it was the Peahat mating season, and their breeding ground was on a fifty-mile patch of land northeast. The Peahats would viciously attack anyone who came anywhere near the breeding ground. This unfortunately meant more travel time for Skull Kid and Tael, who knew the solar equinox was fast approaching. They only had ten days left, and the town was five days to the north, if they traveled day and night. Skull Kid wished he hadn't lollygaged as much as he thought he had, but there was no use crying over spilt milk. Besides, there was a chance they could borrow a horse from the ranch. A small one, but still a chance. As they got just outside of ten miles from the ranch, the sun was almost below the horizon. Not wanting to get caught by the Stalchildren, they quickly set up tent once more and went to sleep. What they didn't know was that not all of the Guay flying around were really Guay. Ever since Ganondorf had received his orders to send spies flying around the field, these special Guays, really darklings in disguise, had been looking for anything suspicious. One of these darkling spies happened to spot the tent, surrounded by disgruntled Stalchildren who could not get by the Stalchild repellent. The darkling spy knew that nobody would be travelling the field these days without a large group so knew this was something suspicious that had to be reported to Ganondorf at once. It turned away from the camp, memorizing the coordinates. It then activated its magic, flying across the great distance of the field in hours instead of days, making a beeline for Ganondorf's Castle. Ganondorf was having a very nice dream of torturing the townspeople to get more money from them when the darkling pecking on the window, waking him up. When he let his spy in and heard the news, he fully woke up and called the moon.  
  
Majora rolled over, snoring loudly. Very loudly. The prisoners were getting sick of this. They had been kept awake by the demon's snores for two nights in a row. They knew he was really snoring on purpose to annoy them. Majora's snores became broken when he heard a knocking on his door. He frowned in his sleep and kept snoring even louder, telling whomever it was to go away. The knocking persisted. His snores were starting to turn into growls. The knocking persisted. His growls turned into snarls and roars. The knocking still persisted. Finally, Majora gave up and got out of bed, shuffling tiredly to the bedroom door, not noticing that he still had his stuffed griffin in one hand. He opened it as the darkling on the other side started knocking again, causing the poor shadow to accidentally knock on his master's belly a few times by accident. The darkling withdrew his hand, frightened. The darkling would not have lived to see the next day if it weren't for the fact that Majora was too tired to deal out any deaths at the moment. "What is it?" grumbled Majora, yawning.  
  
The darkling bowed to the ground. "One million pardons, master. I am most sorry to disturb your slumber, but I had to tell you…Ganondorf wishes to speak with you." Majora snarled and slammed the door in the darkling's face. After a moment passed, the shadow realized it was free to go and went back to its "quarters".  
  
Grumbling to himself, Majora shuffled back to his bed and sat on it. The prisoners were quite pleased to see their captor disrupted from his slumber for once. Grumbling some more while trying to keep his eyelids open, Majora mentally unsealed the barrier he had put around the moon to block communications. Ganondorf's hologram appeared. The four prisoners laughed when they saw Ganondorf, for he was in his pajamas. They were decorated with little Wolfos puppies and kitties. "Great Majora, I have very important…"  
  
Majora blinked, slightly awoken by Ganondorf's PJs. "Ganondorf, are you wearing pajamas with little Wolfos pups and kittens on them?"  
  
Ganondorf frowned. "All of my pajamas are still at the cleaners, along with all my best capes. Are you sleeping with a stuffed griffin?"  
  
Majora quickly hid the griffin beneath his pillow. "No, no, of course not! Now, what is it? I have to go back to bed."  
  
"Majora, I have news! One of my spies has finally located the hero!"  
  
Majora was startled awake. "He has!?!?"  
  
"Yes! He's in a tent just a little more than ten miles to the west of Romani Ranch. If you act now, you can bombard him in his sleep."  
  
Majora grinned. "Excellent job, Ganondorf. You are a good second-in- command. Now go to sleep, and try to get your proper pajamas back before tomorrow night." Ganondorf nodded and vanished. Majora turned to his prisoners, grinning. "Well, looks like the fun has come to an end. Whoever your hero is, he is about to be destroyed, crushing your last hopes of freedom. How does that feel?" Link and Navi angrily let loose several very choice words. Majora smiled. He was surprised when Zelda and Tatl followed suit. "Why princess! Does your father know you have such a foul mouth? No matter. I must go and destroy your would-be-rescuer now. Ta-ta!" Majora conjured himself to the moon's left eye. He peered out through the enormous lens, looking down at the world. He peered at the darklings that operated the eyes. "Magnify to Hymina, a little more than ten miles wet of Romani/Lon Lon Ranch!" he barked. The darklings complied, zooming in on the specified area. "Magnify!" he yelled again. The eye zoomed in closer, showing him an even smaller area of the ten-mile area. "Damn it, when I say magnify I mean magnify! Maximum intensity!' The eye zoomed in even closer, showing Majora the top of the tent. He grinned. "Begin loading Moon's Tear Meteorite Missiles!" The darklings rushed in and out of the room, bringing back Moon's Tears from the ammunition bay. They loaded the jewels into the launch bays, the eyes "tear ducts" as it were. Majora's grin broadened. Soon the annoying hero who had caused so much trouble and killed all four of his demon generals would finally be gone forever. "Fire!" Moon's Tears were launched from the ducts, speeding through the atmosphere at intense speed. They hurtled through the atmosphere, gaining heat and momentum from the friction. The Moon's Tears hit their target area, obliterating everything for ten miles in every direction from the tent. The ranch was unharmed by the debris. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of the tent but a huge crater. The hero was dead. Majora laughed.  
  
Half an hour earlier…  
  
Skull Kid felt somebody kicking him. He woke up and saw Garo looming over him. "Garo? What do you want?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Garo had no time for small talk. "Skull Kid, great danger are you in. As are ranch the people at the, but a danger from different to them. Get there you must, immediately. Behind leave tent the."  
  
Tael yawned and woke up, seeing Garo. "Wha? Garo?"  
  
"How do we get there immediately? It's ten miles away!"  
  
"A faster way to go you have. The mask…"  
  
"Which mask? The Bunny Hood?" Garo shook his head. "Yeah, it looks too silly and only makes me twice as fast. The Giant's Mask?" Garo shook his head. "Oh yeah, it doesn't work outside of that one room in Stone Colossus. Then what?"  
  
"The other mask, the one that makes you super fast." Whispered Garo.  
  
"And that would be?" asked Tael.  
  
Garo seemed a bit annoyed. "Mask of transformation! Goron Mask!"  
  
"Hey, the Goron Mask makes me slower! Unless you mean…Ohhhh!" Skull Kid got it.  
  
Garo nodded. "Correct. Now, Until next time…" He vanished into thin air.  
  
Skull Kid got up and slapped on the Goron Mask. "Wait! Skull Kid, where are we going?"  
  
"The ranch."  
  
"But it's the middle of the night!"  
  
"Garo said we're in danger, and so is everyone at the ranch. We have to hurry." Skull Kid curled up after checking his compass to point himself in the right direction and rolled towards the tent wall. He tore through it, smashing through the Stalchildren waiting outside the tent. He mowed down Stalchild after Stalchild, heading for the ranch. As he mowed them down and kept rolling, his speed increased to the point where the blades sprung out and he moved faster than a speeding horse. He covered the ten- mile distance in ten minutes, smashing through the burnt and broken fence and covering half of the distance to the farmhouse. He uncurled and saw the danger. A huge glowing ball of yellow light was hovering in the sky over the corral. Strange creatures were zipping around the farm, floating inches off of the ground. Skull Kid could not see them too well, but he could see that the creatures were dragging animals over to a beam of light emanating from the ball. None of the animals had actually been taken into the ball…yet. Skull Kid saw that several creatures were already inside the farmhouse, as could be evident by the screams coming from there. Skull Kid had to choose whether or not to go over to the farmhouse or the corral. He decided that since the creatures would probably just take them over to the corral, he should head them off. He curled again and rolled over to the corral, smashing through the fence. He saw that the Cuccos, dogs, cows, and horses were all huddled in a group near the beam of light. Surrounding them were the strange creatures. They looked sort of like Poes, but not really. They had long purple things extending to a few inches off the ground. Were they legs? Their bodies and heads were the same thing, a bulging purple ball with multiple grooves and a black face with yellow-red eyes. It had two black arms extending from either side of the head. In each being's right hand they held a glowing rod. Skull Kid took off the Goron Mask and slowly approached, hiding behind single fences in the corral. He heard more screams from the farmhouse, and then the creatures came out of the house, dragging the occupants kicking and screaming. Skull Kid knew that his only chance might be coming up. The creatures started grabbing the animals. It started with one picking up a frightened Cucco and floating over to the beam of light. The instant it did, the creature and the Cucco began to levitate into the ball of light high above. Skull Kid knew now was his chance. Tael silently Z-targeted the ball. Skull Kid fired a Bomb Arrow. It struck the ball, exploding. The ball wobbled, the beam of light cutting off. The creature and Cucco dropped back to the ground. The creatures all dropped whatever they were carrying and floated over, waving their arms in dismay. The ball started to fly away, but more explosions wracked it. Finally, it stopped floating and fell to the ground, crashing into one of the barns. It did not burn, but it stopped glowing. It now appeared to be a huge, heavily damaged, metal sphere. The creatures all flew over to the sphere wailing. The ranch occupants started to run back to the farmhouse, except for Talon, who was running over to the corral.  
  
One of the creatures had not left. He turned to Skull Kid angrily and jabbered something incomprehensible at him. Skull Kid had no idea what he was saying. The being sighed and pressed something on its head. A second later it spoke in Hylian. "Why did you destroy our ship?" it asked.  
  
Skull Kid blinked. "Ship? Who are you?"  
  
"We are beings from the planet Barglebone, or were from the planet Barglebone. It blew up years ago. We are the only survivors."  
  
"Wait, you mean you're from one of the worlds beyond our own? From up there?" asked Tael.  
  
The alien nodded. "Yes. We came in our ship," he said, indicating the crashed metal sphere that the other aliens were mourning over, "to find a new planet to inhabit. This one seemed suitable. But then you blew up our ship!"  
  
"Well, you were kidnapping those people!" responded Skull Kid, pointing to Talon, who was still running towards the corral.  
  
"Oh, those were people? Sorry, we thought they were more animals. We were taking them because we wanted to do some experiments on them to see if this planet was habitable or not. The experiments would have killed them. It's fortunate that you stopped us, or they would have died. Unfortunately, now we are stranded and have no way of fixing the ship unless you have the technology to rebuild an antimatter reactor, but I doubt that you do. The ship's interior will be unharmed, but we can't leave. Even if this planet is habitable for us, we're stranded."  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "Well, it's too late now. I'm sure Garaton is habitable for your race, but I don't see where you would fit in. Unless…"  
  
At that point, Talon reached them, huffing and puffing. As he got there, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, then turned to the alien leader and said, "You sir, have a lot of explaining to do! Oh, and thank you for saving us Skull Kid."  
  
"You're welcome. But Talon, before you do anything rash like kill this guy and the others, I think there's something you should know."  
  
Skull Kid then explained the whole situation with the aliens, then mentioned that they would be able to pay for the damages. Talon was now thoughtful. "Well, I guess I can forgive you, but I still don't see how you can pay for any of the damages. The barn is now ruined! Are you going to pay us money or something?"  
  
The alien shook his head. "We only have technology. It could be very useful, but I suppose you want something immediate in the form of payment."  
  
"You got that right." Said Talon.  
  
Skull Kid interrupted. "Talon, I have an idea. You want them to pay you back for the barn right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"And you, alien, you want a home for your people right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Then both of you have the solutions to your problems right in front of you."  
  
"Huh?" they both asked.  
  
Skull Kid elaborated. "The aliens can live on the ranch and help out as farmhands. With their addition to the workforce, your ranch will be able to produce more milk and eggs. They may also be able to find a way to speed up transportation to town when you make deliveries. In return, the aliens have somewhere to live. What do you say?"  
  
Talon frowned. "But I can't afford to feed all these things! We barely have enough food to fill the nine of us who already live here!"  
  
The alien leader spoke up. "Actually, my people can synthesize food from the atmosphere. We don't really eat solids or liquids, just gasses."  
  
Talon was thoughtful. He pondered for a moment, then came to a decision. "Skull Kid, you've made up my mind. I'll let them stay on the ranch, as long as they can pull their own weight and increase revenues for us. Is it a deal?" asked Talon, extending his hand out to the leader.  
  
"It is a deal. But why are you extending your hand? Are you trying to threaten me?"  
  
"Uh, no, it's a form of agreement my people have. We shake hands to seal of an agreement."  
  
"Oh. Alright then." The two shook.  
  
Skull Kid smiled. "Well, I'd love to stay and help out some more, but I've got to be heading back to my tent."  
  
Talon grinned. "Be back soon, will you? By the way, do you need to get to town?"  
  
"Actually, we do." Said Tael.  
  
"Well, Cremia will be leaving in a few days to deliver the eggs and milk to town. If you want to get to town quicker, you might want to hitch a ride."  
  
"Sounds good to me. I'll be back in the morning to help set things up. See ya." Skull Kid turned and started heading west, but that's when he saw the shower of meteors coming from the moon, hitting the ground where his tent was. He just stared in astonishment as the Moon's Tears destroyed his tent and everything in a ten-mile radius. When the bombardment finally ended, there was only a huge crater. Skull Kid gaped. "My tent! That bastard destroyed my tent!"  
  
"Well, now we know why Garo made us leave." Said Tael. "Looks like we're going to be staying here after all Skull Kid." Skull Kid groaned.  
  
Three days later…  
  
Relations between the farmers and the aliens were shaky at first, but things seemed to be settling down. The aliens had easily disassembled their ship and used parts of it to rebuild the barn. They put the rest of the ship in both of the barns, converting the upper lofts into laboratories and living quarters for the Barglebonians. They worked with incredible speed, and had completed the modifications to the barn in only six hours. They had built robots to milk the cows and to collect the chicken eggs. The aliens had also managed to repair all the other damage that Majora had done to the ranch, even finding a way to get rid of the burnt material. They had fixed all of the fences and reinforced them with some strange otherworldly metal, adding a few extra security devices as well to the animal pens and outer fence. By security devices, I mean force fields, stun lasers, alarms, patrolling robot guards, and gravity traps. Skull Kid thought the security was a little much, but then again, they were slightly worried that they would be attacked by a powerful demon. Of course, it was highly doubtful that this advanced technology would even work on Majora. The aliens had seen a little magic courtesy of Skull Kid, and were devoting some of their time to researching ways to counter magic. Aside from security, Barglebonians were also introducing certain hormones into the animal's diets to cause them to reproduce faster, while also stimulating grass to grow to feed the new animals. They had wanted to try direct genetic engineering to create better animals, but Talon had said no. He didn't want any of his horses to win a race because they had been genetically enhanced. He saw that as cheating. In a way, he was right. The aliens decided to give each person on the ranch something special. For some reason, the Gormans were interested in electrified pitchforks. Nobody was sure why, but they got their wish. Malon found that the aliens actually liked her singing, and loved to follow her around when she was singing. They were the only ones. The aliens seemed to like Malon's singing as much as the Gorons like Saria's Song, namely a lot. They gave her a recorder to tape her singing. Romani was eager to get an improved bow. It had targeting sights and homing arrows. Talon was pleased to get a vibrating bed. Ingo didn't want anything! What a surprise, isn't it? Grog was actually starting to smile, for his Cuccos were finally going to lay eggs. Mamamu Yan was getting puppies. The aliens were as good as their word, and were pulling their weight as promised. But one of the best modifications was to the delivery wagon. It now had anti-gravity pads, so the old donkey that used to pull it was retired. He didn't seem to mind. The pads allowed the wagon to hover off of the ground, and made it move slightly faster. To keep anyone from thinking there was anything wrong with the wagon, hologram projectors had been installed to generate the image of wheels and the old donkey, so anyone looking would think it was a normal wagon, albeit one moving slightly faster than usual. The new cruise control would allow the cart to travel at night without any steering from the travelers, shortening travel time. The wagon also used a dimensional expander to add extra room to the inside, allowing for a bathroom and multiple bunk beds. The addition of a refrigeration unit ensured that the delivered milk tanks and eggs would stay fresh. (It also protected them from the vulnerability of the back of the wagon, where a certain pair of brothers could break anything.) But since Cremia was slightly worried the Gormans would go turncoat and try to stop the delivery, or that a monster would attack them, the aliens installed a retractable laser cannon in the back of the wagon. At noon, Skull Kid, Tael and Cremia were ready to leave. As they got into the wagon and started hovering off, everyone came to the front gates to give them a warm send-off. As the ranch left their sight, Skull Kid walked over to Cremia, who was steering the cart using the high-tech interface console. "Do you even know what you're doing?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Cremia smiled. "I was worried at first, but these control's are easier to operate than old Benjamin was! Take a look for yourself." Skull Kid peered over her shoulder. He saw that the controls were easy. The aliens had made the controls user-friendly and easy to understand. The steering mechanism was a small wheel. The cruise control button merely locked the wheel in place, sending the wagon straight ahead in whatever direction it was pointing to. There was an on/off button, and another one for the holograms. A compass told them which way they were going. There was a pedal to accelerate and to brake in case of emergencies. Cremia shook her head, smiling. "This technology stuff is like a new form of magic! I think I like it."  
  
"Yeah, I think I'll go test the laser. Wanna watch?"  
  
"Sure, just let me turn on the cruise control." She checked the compass, then pressed the cruise control button. She turned around. "Okay, I'm all set. Let's see this thing." They went to the back of the wagon. Skull Kid hopped into the gunner's chair and looked at the control panel. It was quite simple. The panel was on a podium connecting to the rotating cannon turret. It could go up, down, or around. A plastic screen had a holographic display allowing for targeting. The controls themselves were sheer simplicity. All he had to do was aim using the holographic targeting cursor and the control stick, then fire by pressing and releasing the button on top of the stick. The longer he held it down determined the intensity of the blast.  
  
"So, where should I aim?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"How about that tree over there?" asked Cremia. Skull Kid aimed at a dead tree they were passing and fired a quick shot. The tree fell down. "Try to get that Guay." Skull Kid aimed upwards at a circling Guay. He targeted it and fired another quick shot, downing the Guay.  
  
Skull Kid saw a large rock and decided to see if he could blow it up. He aimed for the rock and pressed the button hard. A more powerful shot struck the rock, causing it to explode. Then Skull Kid had an idea. "Let's see the range on this thing." Said Skull Kid, raising the canon and aiming at the moon. He held the button down for several seconds, causing a large ball of laser energy to build up on the cannon muzzle. Skull Kid waited to see if he could charge it up any more. When it reached maximum size and intensity, he made sure he was aiming straight at the moon, then fired. The huge laser blast went rocketing off into the sky. Skull Kid turned to Cremia. "Quick, get to the controls and make this thing go faster!"  
  
"But why"  
  
"Just do it!" Cremia ran over to the controls and started moving, turning up the speed. As the wagon started moving faster, a Moon's Tear fell from the sky, striking the ground just behind them. More followed. The wagon was just able to keep ahead of the falling jewels, swerving to avoid incoming ones. They finally made it out of the ten-mile radius, the Moon's Tears still hitting the ground behind them. Cremia hit the brakes and turned around.  
  
"Why did you do that?!" she asked angrily.  
  
"Look, I really hate that moon okay? I was trying to blow it out of the sky. If you had been in my place, wouldn't you have done the same thing?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Cremia paused. "Well, I guess I would at that. But let's agree not to mess with the laser again, okay?" Skull Kid nodded. They continued on their way.  
  
Two days later, they reached Hymina Castle Clock Town. From the outside, it looked the same, except for the dark cloud covering the region and the Gerudo crescent symbol placed above the drawbridge. Just above the Gerudo symbol was a crest. It was black and heart-shaped, with two horns, eight spikes, and two almond-shaped eyes. Majora's crest. The drawbridge was down. The guards at the gate were Moblins, golems fashioned from clay. They were seven feet tall, with large spears and the heads of bulldogs. As golems, they did whatever task their master assigned to them, no matter how menial. As the wagon approached, they stiffened and crossed their spears, blocking the gate. "Halt! Who goes there?" asked one of the Moblins.  
  
"It's me, Cremia. I'm here to deliver eggs and milk."  
  
The Moblins sniffed the air. One of them frowned. "Is something wrong with your donkey? It doesn't seem to smell quite right."  
  
"Er…" Cremia wasn't sure what to do. If the Moblins touched the donkey and discovered it was a fake, she would be in big trouble. Fortunately, Skull Kid knew what to do. He manned the laser cannon and fired a laser burst at a tree a quarter of a mile away. The tree ignited. The Moblins noticed.  
  
"Hey, what's going on over there?" asked one of the Moblins.  
  
"Why don't you two go check it out? I have to go make my rounds."  
  
"Yeah, yeah sure. Go on through." The Moblins ran over to the tree to see if there was something over there while the wagon passed through the gates.  
  
Cremia turned around and grinned at Skull Kid. "Thanks. I owe you one." She piloted the wagon into town. Skull Kid retracted the cannon so nobody would see it then looked out the back to see the town. It was pretty dismal. Things were quite dark. Moblins were guarding every exit from town, including the path to the Temple of Time/Clock Tower. Many shops were closed down, their owners out on the streets. There were quite a few beggars. There didn't seem to actually be anyone who wasn't a beggar walking around the streets. A few shops were still open. All of the restaurants were closed as well. Cremia stopped the cart in front of a place called the Milk Bar Latte. She landed the wagon and pulled the refrigeration unit out of the back. "Skull Kid, I guess this is goodbye. I have to head home after making these deliveries, so I guess you'll be staying here. I just wanted to say thanks for all that you've done." She leaned over and gave him a hug and a kiss. "Good luck." She whispered.  
  
"Wait!" said Skull Kid. He took out the bottle of Lon Lon Milk and the one bottle of Chateau Romani he had been given the last time he was at the ranch. "Here, take these. I don't need them." He said.  
  
She smiled, said "Thank you," and then she went into the bar.  
  
"I'll miss her." Said Tael.  
  
"Yeah…" said Skull Kid. He felt slightly odd from Cremia's kiss. Why was it? It was the first kiss he had ever gotten as far as he could recall, except for kisses from his family, which didn't count. What was so different about his one? Surely he wasn't feeling an attraction towards Cremia? She was a human after all. He sorted through his feelings and realized he was just a bit anxious about being kissed by someone outside his family. If a female imp ever kissed him, he would probably feel about the same way. Not that there were any female imps, that is. All the Skull Kids were boys, and in his millennium of life he had never met a girl of his species. He shook his head, breaking himself off of that topic. "Come on, let's find a pawn shop. I've got some stuff I want to get rid of." Said Skull Kid.  
  
He quickly located the "Curiosity Shop". During his dark years, Skull Kid has sold everything he stole to this proud store. Despite the dimensional merge and being under the rule of an oppressive tyrant, this store was still in business. As Skull Kid entered, he saw that it hadn't changed a bit. As usual, it was littered with crates and knick-knacks of some sort. He saw swords, jewelry, masks, and an old suit of armor behind the window where the guy who operated the store was. The proprietor leaned looked interested as Skull Kid came through. "Aw, hello good sir. How can I help you? Is there anything you'd like to sell? I'm afraid we're out of sellable wares right now…"  
  
"Actually, I do have some stuff to sell." Said Skull Kid. He pulled out all ten of his bottles. One contained a Big Poe he had caught during the wagon ride. Four bottles were full of gold dust. Three bottles were empty. One contained a fish, and one more contained Vari.  
  
The Curiosity Shop guy peered at the full bottles. "My! You have some very worthy items in here. I'll pay eight hundred rupees total for the Big Poe and the Gold Dust. I'll only pay fifty for the fairy. Hmm, he is black though. I've never seen a black fairy. Maybe I should give you one hundred…"  
  
"Oh, the fairy's not for sale. I was just showing you what I had to offer. You can take the dust and the Poe."  
  
The man took out a tube from under his counter, opened each of the bottles and poured their contents down the tube one at a time. He handed the empty bottles and the eight hundred rupees back to Skull Kid. "Now, unless you have anything else to sell, I'm afraid I can offer you nothing more. All of the things in crates are reserved, and I have nothing to sell to you."  
  
"Thank you." Said Skull Kid. He left the store.  
  
"You know he was lying." Said Tael.  
  
"Yes I do. But I don't need anything from him. I stocked up on arrows and bombs back at the Canyon. What we need now is lodging. Mom said she would tell us what to do, but until then, we'll just have to wait." They wandered around the town, looking for an inn or hotel. Sadly, all of the hotels and inns were either closed or full up. Skull Kid didn't give up, and kept walking around the once-lovely town, trying to find a place to stay. Then he saw a small inn called the Stock Pot Inn. "Maybe they've got a room." said Skull Kid.  
  
He walked in the front door. The first thing he noticed was that there were bugs crawling around the floor. A young woman with red hair stood behind the front desk. She looked kind of sad. She was staring at the clock on the wall, a smaller version of the clock tower. She looked as if she was thinking of something else. Skull Kid approached the counter, getting her attention. "Hmm? Oh! A visitor! My, you're kind of cute aren't you? What do you want?" she asked.  
  
"I'm looking for a room," said Skull Kid.  
  
"Do you have a reservation?"  
  
"To be honest, no."  
  
She smiled, kind of. "It's okay. We don't have any reservations. Nobody's been coming to my inn because nobody wants to taste my cooking. I guess it's pretty lousy. My husband is a much better cook than I am. He always took care of the meals." She sighed. "If only Kafei were still here…" She shook her head. "Anyway, my name is Anju, proprietor of this inn. Would you like a room?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Said Tael.  
  
"Oh! Is that a fairy? I'm afraid I'll have to charge you double for your partner if he's sleeping with you."  
  
"No problem. Money is not an object." Said Skull Kid.  
  
She smiled. "That's not an expression anybody uses nowadays. Well, nobody except the King." She stopped smiling. "Anyway, here's your key to the Knife Room. It's the second door on the left upstairs."  
  
Before heading upstairs, Skull Kid had a few questions. "Anju, this Kafei is your husband correct?" She paused, then nodded. "Is he dead?"  
  
She looked very forlorn at that. "No. No, he is not dead. He is Ganondorf's prisoner. He was taken to Ganondorf's Castle when the Demon Emperor took over. He's being held hostage. If I displease the Great Ganondorf, he'll kill Kafei. That means I have to pay extra taxes, daily ones instead of just weekly. But that isn't any of your business. It's my own problem. Please make yourself at home. If you want to find some entertainment, I suggest you go see my grandmother. She's quite senile, but a great storyteller. I'm sure my son would appreciate the company. By the way, what's your name?"  
  
"Skull Kid."  
  
"And your friend?"  
  
"Tael."  
  
She wrote them down on her ledger. Skull Kid went up the stairs and unlocked the door with his key. The room was quaint, but shabby. The paint was peeling, and there were cracks in the walls that allowed noise from the other rooms to come through. Skull Kid didn't mind. It was still a room. And the bed was nice and soft. The bugs weren't really that bad. It wasn't as if they were roaches or anything. Skull Kid decided to unpack all his stuff, even though he didn't need to. He pulled his pack off of his back and took out all his spare clothes, folding them neatly on the bed. He had noticed that he had a bathroom, which was a relief. He decided to take a wash before going downstairs. After a quick shower and change of clothes, he put his dirty clothes in the laundry bin, picked up all his stuff, and went downstairs. He quickly found the correct room. It was a very nice and cozy room. Bookshelves lined the walls and a fireplace illuminated the room. There were a few paintings on the walls. A cot lay on the back wall near an end table with an open diary. Another door at the back probably led to a bathroom. Sitting on the floor was a young, red-eyed boy with purple hair. Skull Kid stared at him for a moment before realizing he looked just like Kafei had when Majora had cursed him ten years ago. The curse had been broken with the demon's defeat, fortunately. This boy was obviously their son. He was sitting in front of a very old woman in a wheelchair. She was reading from a storybook. The old woman looked up as he came in. "Oh! Tortus, would you like to come and listen to a story?"  
  
"Um, I'm not Tortus." Said Skull Kid.  
  
The old woman smiled. "Yes dear, I know that. You are a little imp of the forests, aren't you? And isn't that a forest fairy? I'm sure you have stories of your own to tell…" she sighed wistfully.  
  
"Hey wait, I thought you were senile!" said Tael.  
  
"Tael!" hissed Skull Kid.  
  
The old woman laughed. "No, I only pretend to be senile. It's a joke that's been lasting for fifteen years now. Ever since the accident that left me in this wheelchair, I haven't been out of this room since ten years ago, when we evacuated to Romani Ranch to wait out the moon. Of course, that Link fellow stopped it all, didn't he?"  
  
The boy seemed a little worried. "Grandma, are you sure you should be telling the truth about your mental health to a total stranger?"  
  
The old woman chuckled. "Tortus, there's nothing to worry about. Look in his eyes! I can see he is honorable and trustworthy, aren't you?" she asked.  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
"What about me? What do you see in me?" asked Tael.  
  
The old woman looked at the fairy for a few moments. "I see plenty of talent, and an urge to prove yourself…yes, yes, I see a need to get out of someone's shadow. Your sister, perhaps?"  
  
Tael was shocked. "How did you…"  
  
"You feel as if your sister is cared about more by your parents than you are, correct? So you've begun acting a little like your sister in an attempt to become her. I suggest you drop the charade, dearie. It will win you no favor. Your parents love the two of you equally. Now come, sit! Listen to a story. I was about to tell Tortus jr. here the story of the Four Giants, his favorite tale." Skull Kid leaned forward eagerly, wanting to hear exactly how the storybooks told of that time long ago. Grandma cleared her throat and began. "A long time ago, before the four worlds were founded, all the peoples of Termina lived on Termina Field. And the giants lived with them. The peoples lived in harmony until one day the giants said, "We will take the peoples of the fields to the four worlds we have created. One hundred steps south, one hundred steps north, one hundred steps west, one hundred steps east. If any need help from one of us, all you need to do is call out, such as, "The avalanche has trapped us!" or "The sea is about to swallow us up!" and one of us will help you." And so the giants led their peoples to the respective worlds, leaving a settlement of humans in the middle, who built Clock Town. Now, there was an imp who was the friend of the giants. When the giants left to do guard their peoples, the imp was left all alone. "Why do you have to go?" he asked. "Why can you not stay?" The imp did not understand that the giants had a duty to fulfill, and he could expect them to break their oath for him. So he took out his rage and bitterness on the people of Termina. Fearfully, they cried, "Help us! Help us!" And the giants came and were very angry. "They said, "Oh imp, Oh imp, what have you done? Oh imp, leave these worlds forever or we shall tear you apart!" Realizing he had lost his friends, the imp left Termina forever, returning to the heavens. The people rejoiced and honored the four giants as their guardian deities. That is why on the Carnival of Time, we wear masks that represent the four giants, to honor them. The End." She looked up. "Well, what do you think?"  
  
"It was as good as always, Grandma." Said Tortus Jr.  
  
"And what of you?" asked Grandma to Skull Kid.  
  
Skull Kid didn't look very happy. "Well, it was okay, except for the glaring omissions and errors."  
  
Grandma frowned at him. "How do you mean?"  
  
"That story was wrong in more ways than one. First of all, that dialogue was all wrong. Even back then, nobody talked like that. Second, the giants don't really talk at all, they bellow in their own language. Third, the lands around Termina were created long before then. Fourth and most important, the imp did not 'return to the heavens.' He went through a portal to another world."  
  
Grandma frowned. Tortus jr. looked at him inquisitively. "And how would you know all this, dearie?"  
  
"I should know all of this because I was there! I was the imp in the story."  
  
The two humans frowned at him. "If you are really the imp from the tale, then you must know the secret names of the four giants. Do you?" she asked, sure that he wouldn't know. She was one of the few people who actually did know the answer to this.  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Easy. Their secret names were Yllf, Ullf, Illf, and Ollf."  
  
Grandma blinked. "That's…that's right. The only way you could possibly know that is if…" She gasped. "You are him! You are, aren't you? But this means…" She stopped and wheeled over to her diary table. She picked up a pen and a notebook and wheeled back. "Mr. Imp, I am a historian. For the last twenty years I have been retired, but have always been thirsting for the one big uncovering of ancient history that would give me one last challenge claim to fame before I die. You are that chance. Please, you must tell me your entire story. Where you came from, who your parents were, where you've spent the last thousand years, everything! And I want the complete and absolute truth! I'll be writing everything down, of course." She picked up her pen, ready to touch it to paper. "Shall we begin?"  
  
"Can I listen too, Grandma?" asked Tortus Jr.  
  
She nodded. "Yes, of course. Now please, begin!"  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "All right, but it'll take a while to get every thing down. And there's a lot of angst. I suppose you will want brief day-by-day accounts?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Right. Well, it all started when the Goddess of Time…"  
  
It took three days and a lot of endurance of Anju's cooking, but Skull Kid told his entire story. On the night of the third day, as Skull Kid finished telling of the events that had led him here, Grandma put down the quill. She shook her head. "Well dearie, that was an amazing story. I will be sure to have it sent to the Academy in the morning." She yawned. "Well, it's time for bed. Go on Tortus, Skull Kid, go to your rooms. I need a good long sleep."  
  
As they reached the Knife Room, Skull Kid was about to climb under the covers when Tael stopped him. "Skull Kid, I just wanted to say something. When you told us your story the first and second times all those years ago, it wasn't nearly as heart-rending as this one was. And you didn't even cry at all! I want to say I'm proud of how you've been taking everything these days. I admire you, best friend."  
  
Skull Kid smiled. "Thanks. You know, I'm getting kind of worried. Mom still hasn't called. Tomorrow is the last day before the deadline. At midnight tomorrow, the Solar Equinox will occur. We have to slay Ganondorf before then or else."  
  
"Don't worry. She'll probably call in the morning or something. Good night Skull Kid."  
  
"Good night Tael." Skull Kid turned off the lamp and went to sleep.  
  
He woke up at midnight. What's wrong? He thought. Why am I up? He could hear something, his instincts perhaps, telling him to go to Grandma's room. Moving quietly so as not to wake up anyone, Skull Kid crept down the stairs and opened the door to Grandma's room. What he saw there shocked and terrified him, yet he did not scream. He could see a tall figure in a black cloak touching something on his wrist. Immediately, all the noise of the Inn, a few snores here and there, the scurrying of the bugs over in the corners, the ticking of the clock, it all went silent. It was as if time had frozen. The figure loomed over Grandma, who did not look asleep. She looked strangely awake, yet she was not breathing. The figure pulled a huge scythe from its robe. Skull Kid could see its hands, and saw they were skeletal. "Anju Wisteria the First, your time has come. You have been charged with the good deeds of reading stories to children, compiling a vast storage of historical facts, and founding the history branch of the Clock Town Academy. Your verdict is good soul. Your sentence is eternal bliss. Prepare to join your husband." The figure wound back the scythe, standing on one foot as a dramatic pose, preparing to slice into the old woman's flesh. "  
  
No!" screamed Skull Kid.  
  
The figure lost its balance, surprised. It turned around, showing its face. Skull Kid gasped, for there was no face inside the figure's head. There was only a skull. The skeleton frowned, sort of. "Who dares to disturb the work of the Grim Reaper? In fact, who can disturb the work of the Grim Reaper? You should be frozen in time like everyone else! Strange…"  
  
"Why are you about to kill that old lady?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
The figure shook his head. "Kill her? I am saving her! She is already dead. She got a severe heart attack while she was sleeping. I am merely here to make her soul depart from this mortal coil."  
  
"Who are you to do this?"  
  
"I am the Grim Reaper. One of them, anyway."  
  
"There are more of you? I thought there was only one."  
  
The Grim Reaper actually laughed. "Only one Grim Reaper? Impossible! There are one trillion solid dimensions and an almost infinite amount of beings in each one. Since each dimension has a near infinite number of worlds, and people are dying every second, how could one being free all of their souls at once, even with the power to freeze time?"  
  
"Um…he couldn't?"  
  
"Exactly! The Goddess of Time created us, the Reaper Corps, long ago to be the living embodiment of entropy. There is one of my kind for every species on every planet on every world on every galaxy on every universe on every dimension. There is an uncountable number of my kind. There is a Reaper for the insects that crawl around this inn, a Reaper for horses, a Reaper for Wolfos! And that's just a tiny fraction of the amount on this world alone! As you can tell, I am the Reaper for the humans of Garaton."  
  
"Hey! The Goddess of Time made you? That makes us brothers! My name's Skull Kid."  
  
"Skull Kid? Ah yes, I have heard of you. My brethren have been following your trail of deaths."  
  
Skull Kid blinked. "Oh. I'm very sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry, the more deaths there are, the more we get paid! Relatively speaking of course. "  
  
Skull Kid blinked. "Oh. I'm very sorry."  
  
"Don't be sorry, the more deaths there are, the more we get paid! Relatively speaking of course. You are merely doing your job, just like I am doing mine."  
  
"I guess you could look at it that way. So, if people are dying all the time, wouldn't you have to be in multiple places at once to get them all in time?"  
  
The Reaper grinned. "But I can! The power to teleport, coupled with the power to stop time, means I will always get there in time. Of course, for everyone else, it doesn't seem time has stopped. And for them, it doesn't. To explain it to you would involve going into extremely advanced temporal mechanics which I am sure you don't want. I had better get back to work, by the way."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry I bothered you."  
  
"No trouble, no trouble. This won't take a moment. Besides, I'm sure you'll be seeing me tomorrow night."  
  
"Really? Why?"  
  
"You'll be killing Ganondorf won't you? I have to be there to collect his soul."  
  
"Brother, before you do your task, I have one last question."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Is there a Reaper for imps too?"  
  
"No, imps and all other immortal beings free themselves from their bodies at death and either float or sink to their respective domains. This woman is a good soul, and shall be joining Tortus sr. in Heaven." He turned around, facing Grandma once again. "Oh, and Skull Kid…"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Perhaps you shouldn't tell Anju about this. And by the way, please deliver her report of your story to the Clock Town Academy in the morning. It is her last wish."  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "I agree." Grim stood on one foot and wound back his scythe, striking a dramatic pose. He swung, his scythe making a psychic tear in the old woman's body. Instead of blood, a ball of light floated out of it. It was mostly white, with specks of black here and there, signifying good and evil. The soul floated through the ceiling. Grim touched his wrist and vanished, time restarting. Skull Kid grabbed the notebook his story was written in and went back to bed.  
  
He was woken up late the next morning by screams from downstairs. It seemed Anju had discovered her grandmother's corpse. He decided he should go down and comfort her. He quickly showered, changed clothes, and put on his pack before going down. He found Anju sobbing over her grandmother. She turned around as he came in. "Oh…it's you…I'm sorry, but I can't do anything for you right now…"  
  
Skull Kid shook his head. "It's nothing like that Anju. I just wanted to say that your grandmother's last wish was for me to deliver something to the Academy. I can find it myself, but I also wanted to tell you I'm checking out. I'll just go sign myself out. I also want to say…I'm sorry."  
  
She sniffed. "Bless you…" Suddenly, they heard the sound of a small bell, the one at the front desk. Anju gasped. "Oh no! The tax collector's here! I have to go give him today's dues, but I can't…" She looked over at her grandmother's body. The bell rung again.  
  
Skull Kid knew he had to do something. So he did. "Anju, I'll handle it. I'll pay him."  
  
"But…no! You are my guest!" The bell rung again, slightly more urgently.  
  
"Anju, you are in no condition to handle the taxes right now. Skull Kid and I will handle it. Go back to your grieving."  
  
She almost smiled. The bell rung over and over. "Thank you…"  
  
Skull Kid rushed out of the room and headed to the door that went behind the front desk. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He said to the tax collector as he came in. "now how much…" He looked at the man in front of the desk and gasped. Tael was already hiding in his hat.  
  
The man was seven feet tall, with black armor studded with yellow gems. He had a necklace and a headband. He had greenish skin and flaming red hair. A long red cape billowed behind him. His eyes were horrible, filled with evil and hatred. It was no mere tax collector. It was Ganondorf. Ganondorf leaned over the desk and frowned. "What's this? A forest imp? Where is Anju? I came in person to collect taxes from her today so I could taunt her, and she sends a stupid imp in her place?"  
  
Skull Kid realized Ganondorf did not recognize him. This was fortunate, since Skull Kid had helped in fighting him several weeks ago, before he was swept away. It was a good thing all imps looked alike in the eyes of men, or he would be in trouble. Besides, Ganondorf knew that he had supposedly been killed all those weeks ago. Skull Kid gulped and stammered, "I-I'm new here. I was hired to help out around the inn."  
  
"Really? My tax collector didn't mention an imp at the front desk yesterday."  
  
"I was sweeping the bedrooms. Anju couldn't come to pay you today because she's mourning her grandmother. She died last night."  
  
"She did? Oh, that's terrible! I'll just have to collect extra taxes from her today! That'll be eight hundred rupees! And be glad it's not more."  
  
Skull Kid pulled the eight hundred rupees from his wallet and handed them over, trying not to actually touch the evil king's hands. Ganondorf grinned. "I guess that'll be all then. Tell that trollop that she's lucky that I'll let the old three hundred rupees a day tax for her go back instead of just keeping it at eight hundred. I don't want her out on the streets, after all. No, I'd rather keep her in a lifelong bondage! Ahahahahahahaha!" He was about to head for the exit when he paused, whirling around to take a closer look at Skull Kid. His hand darted, snatching Tael from his hiding place behind Skull Kid's hat. Tael jingled in panic. "Ah hah! A fairy!"  
  
"I-I-I-I-I swear I don't know how it got here." Said Skull Kid desperately.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll just take him off your hands. I'm sure the Emperor will have good use for him! Ahahahahahahaha!" Still holding the jingling Tael, he left the Inn.  
  
Skull Kid stood there for several minutes in shock. Then it fully registered on him. Tael was gone. His best friend. His companion. His soulmate. Without him, he could never have survived the quest. He had to save him. But how? Then, he suddenly noticed that everything was quiet. He could not hear the ticking clock, the scurrying bugs, or Anju's sobs. Time had stopped once again. Skull Kid spun around to see the Goddess of Time. "Mom! Tael's in trouble! I've got to save him!"  
  
His mother bobbed in the air, her form of nodding. "I know. However, before you go, we need to talk. I have a few very important things to tell you. Do not interrupt, just listen. Since time is frozen, you are in no hurry. Just listen. I lied a little to you when I told you why I made you. The truth is, before I had the premonition about Majora, I was already making you. Why? Because you were an experiment. Something to study. In an attempt to understand mortals better, we were creating a being to watch and study, an immortal that would live as a mortal would. We were going to watch as you lived and eventually made something of yourself. When Majora came, you were slightly reprogrammed, but your main objective is still the same. That objective is to live. To be yourself. We have been watching you ever since your birth to see how you have progressed. We all found the main part to be sad, but you are now being true to yourself. You are living like you were supposed to, fulfilling you main instinct. It has been imprinted in your mind. To help you preserve your mortal form, we gave you limited clairvoyance, which explains your instincts. We also gave you a powerful core of magic, which will soon have its use. Do you understand and forgive me for making you as an experiment?'  
  
"I guess so. I can see why you would, since you gods are pretty much observers, but back to Tael…"  
  
"I'm getting to that! Skull Kid, to get Tael back and clear the way to Majora, you must kill Ganondorf. But there is only one weapon in all the dimensions powerful enough to do it. The Master Sword."  
  
"Wait a minute! That's Link's sword! Only the Hero of Time can pull it out!"  
  
"No. Only a great hero chosen by destiny can pull out the sword. Link is a great hero chosen by destiny, but he is not the Hero. The only reason he was ever able to pull it out was because of a fluke. It was needed. And now, it is needed again. For you see Skull Kid, you are the great hero. I forged the sword for you in the first place. It is yours. You must go get it, then attack Ganondorf. The sword is located in the Temple of Time. When you get to the Temple, you must place all the Medallions in the Altar and play the Song of Time. Let me teach it to you." She pulsed, making delightful ringing noises, like chimes. The chimes made a pattern which Skull Kid followed on his flute. "There is one other thing you need too. The final key. The Medallion of Time. Take it and place it in the altar along with the others. It will appear in your hands after I have left. Goodbye my darling Skull Kid. I love you so much." She gave him a huge hug and a kiss, then left.  
  
Time restarted. Skull Kid looked in his hands and saw a new Medallion. It was made of solid gold. On the back was a Triforce symbol, on the front was a complicated etching. It showed a sphere in the center, with six lines leading from the circle to the top of the Medallion, and six lines with arrowheads coming towards the circle from the bottom of the Medallion. Skull Kid put it away and signed his name off the ledger. He wrote a note next to where his name had been: "Anju, you have been an excellent host. You have suffered too much and deserve better. I swear I shall rescue your husband from Ganondorf's dungeons myself. To help you fix up the inn, I have left a little surprise in the cash register." He opened the cash register and reached into his wallet. He knew a black rupee would not suffice this time. He took out a white rupee, worth one million rupees, and placed it in the register. He closed it and left the Inn. He headed over for the Temple, darting past the beggars. Not caring that the Moblins would smell him anyway, he put on the Stone Mask in a back alley and made a run for the Temple path. He dashed past the two Moblins, who stood there puzzled for a moment, sniffing the air. He ran down the path, reaching the Temple of Time. He slowed down once he reached it. It was beautiful, an unblemished mark in these dark days. It looked like a pristine cathedral, which it was, except for the large ticking clock tower extending from the back. A quiet, secluded graveyard was in the back. Skull Kid walked into the Temple. It seemed to be nothing at first but a long chamber with a very high, vaulted roof. A red carpet ran from the door to the other end of the room. The floor was covered in chessboard tiles. Even though a dark cloud covered the sky, light shone through the windows. At the back wall was the small Altar of Time. Three stairs on either side of the altar went up to a platform on the wall just behind the altar. There was also a ramp on either side, for handicapped access. On the platform was a stone door with the symbol on the Time Medallion etched on it, except that the circle in the middle was a gear. The Triforce symbol was just above it. Skull Kid could hear gears grinding and many ticks just behind that door. He slowly walked up the aisle to the Altar. There were eleven circular notches in the altar, ten surrounding a central one. Skull Kid took out each of the Sage Medallions and placed them in the appropriate notches. He then took out the Medallion of Time and placed it in the central notch. The Medallions glowed. Skull Kid took out his flute and played the Song of Time. At first, nothing. Then, the stone door rumbled open, the Triforce symbol above the door lighting up. A corridor was revealed. Skull Kid walked into the corridor and found himself in an unimaginable place. He was inside the Clock Tower. He saw turning gears, cogs, and pulleys all around him, turning the massive clock face on the wall above the corridor entrance. A bridge led over the churning waterwheel that operated the whole thing to a decagonal platform on top of a large turning gear in the center of the room. Each corner of the platform had one of the symbols of the Medallions on them. In the center, in the middle of the symbol of Time, was a small pedestal. Jutting from the top of the pedestal was a magnificent sword. It was big, properly sized for the hands of an adult. Its blade was long and silvery, glowing with an unearthly light. The hilt was made of some strange purple metal. Skull Kid walked up to the Pedestal of Time, approaching the sword. He placed both hands on the hilt and heaved, pulling the sword from the pedestal. There was a flash, and suddenly he was holding the sword in his right hand, but it was now the size of the Gilded Sword. A beautiful scabbard to match the sword was now strapped on his back. Skull Kid gazed at the sword in his hand, his sword, the Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane. He turned and left the Temple, knowing he could now save his friend.  
  
And so ends this chapter! And it was a doozy, wasn't it? Well, tell me what you thought of it in your review and the next chapter should be up soon. The battle with Ganondorf! You don't want to miss that, do you? 


	13. Assault on Ganon's Castle

Hello readers. It is I once again. I hope you like this chapter. It is going to be the longest one yet. For all I know, the next chapter won't be as long. But it might. We'll just have to wait and see. Anyway, this is the beginning of the end. Only one more chapter to go. This does not count the epilogue. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Ugoh.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Skull Kid stopped outside the Temple of Time only long enough to put on the Stone Mask before racing down the trial, running by the Moblins once more. He was about to go to the trail leading to the castle before remembering the promise he had made to Grim last night. He turned away from the trail and started searching the streets and alleys, looking for the Clock Town Academy. After twenty minutes, he finally found it, a large two- story building. It looked closed. He checked the door. It was closed. Skull Kid had to think about how he was going to get the book inside. He stepped back and took a look at the building. The windows were boarded up as well, so that wouldn't help. This old school seemed to have been closed for weeks, judging by the small amount of dust around the place. He noticed that there was a door on the roof, leading from a stairwell. But there seemed to be no way to get there. Then he noticed the large bell hanging from wooden supports on the roof. He took out his hookshot and grappled onto the bell support, pulling himself up. He ran over to the door on the roof and opened it, going down the stairwell. He looked around for the principal's office, walking down the empty, ghostly corridors, past empty, ghostly classrooms. He finally found the principal's office. Strangely, everything was still there. There was still a desk, paper, pens, pencils, diplomas, and bookshelves around the room. There were even a few pictographs. Skull Kid walked over to the desk. But when he did, he saw something he hadn't been able to notice before. It was in the principal's chair. It appeared to be a tiny object of some sort. Skull Kid leaned closer and picked it up. It was a small stone figurine of a human, his face trapped in a twisted scream of horror. Skull Kid suddenly had a notion. He looked at one of the pictographs on the walls, finding one of the principal himself. He looked back at the figurine. The pictograph. The figurine. The pictograph. The figurine. They were the same man. Skull Kid almost dropped the figurine. He quickly placed it back on the chair and went into the secretary's room, right outside the office. He checked the secretary's chair and found a small stone figurine of a woman, her face also frozen in a scream of horror. Skull Kid suddenly knew why the school was closed yet had all of the furniture and things. All of the people in the school had been hit at once by a curse that had turned them into stone figurines. Skull Kid was willing to bet that if he checked behind every desk in the academy, he would find another figurine. As Skull Kid walked back into he office, he felt another wave of hatred coming up. Who had done this atrocity? Ganondorf or Majora? Skull Kid wasn't sure it mattered. He placed the journal containing his life story on the desk, picked up one of the pens, and started writing a note next to the book, telling him what had happened to him and what the story in the journal was about. He also added that everything in the journal was one hundred percent true, and had been taken down by Anju Wisteria the First. As he left the office, he felt as if somewhere in the heavens, the old woman was smiling. He left the building as quickly as possible, not wanting to stay in its hallways, so empty that they seemed haunted. He made it to the roof, only to realize that there was no way down. He thought for a moment. He sighed and went back inside the academy. He went to the front door and unlocked it, exiting the building. He slipped the Stone Mask on and headed for the trail leading to the castle. He dashed past the Moblins, confusing them. He ran down the path, being careful to avoid other Moblins. However, he was a bit worried when he saw what could be none other than the Moblin leader, a ten-foot tall monster with two spikes on each shoulder pad instead of the regular one, not to mention more armor. He wielded a huge hammer and kept looking around, sniffing the air, itching to smash someone. Skull Kid knew that this Moblin would smell him coming, so he had to be quick. As Skull Kid ran towards the guard, the Moblin smelled him and slammed its hammer into the ground, sending shockwaves in his direction. Skull Kid dodged each shockwave, making his way to the Moblin. As he ran right behind the guard, the Moblin opened his mouth, about to call the alarm, until Skull Kid struck him from behind with the hookshot, temporarily paralyzing the giant. With this opportunity, Skull Kid ran up the path, out of range of the Moblin's range of smell. Because it was an upward slope, Skull Kid couldn't quite see Ganondorf's castle. He could just see the top, but that was all. Skull Kid saw that the hammer-wielding behemoth had been the last guard. He got to the top of the trail and over the rise, thinking he was prepared for what was coming. He was wrong. He stared in disbelief at the castle grounds. Hymina Field was lush compared to this place. It was completely barren and devoid of any life whatsoever. There were no trees, no water, not even any Guays circling. This place was the source of the dark cloud that covered the town, obscuring the sun. Strangely, the clouds did not touch the center of the area, where sunlight shone on the middle of the grounds. The only signs of life were charred and broken bones. The land was dark and dreary, completely dead. Most of the grounds, even the old castle itself, had been completely obliterated. In their place was a huge pit with white-hot lava at the bottom. A wide, jagged path circled the pit, allowing one view of the thing in the pit itself. For in the pit was something constructed of pure magic, for it defied the laws of physics. Of course, many things in Garaton were magic and defied the laws of physics, but I digress. In the center of the pit, floating perfectly still and level with the edge of the pit, was a huge piece of land. It was suspended in the air, its bottom only inches from the lava. Occupying all but an extremely narrow strip of land at the edge was Ganon's Castle. It was huge and terrifying. It was very tall, a single tower reaching up and up. It seemed to be comprised of multiple levels. At the bottom was the first level, a multiple- sided wall encircling almost the entire platform. It was more than a wall, though. It had a roof that went a few meters inward before reaching the next level, which was taller but was essentially the same as the first, with a roof that went inward until reaching the wall of the next level, which went even higher, before ending in a tall keep that had several walkways leading around the outside before going into the keep itself. The tops of the first two walls were lined with spikes, and the corner of each wall had a tall point jutting from the top. The castle was made from black stone and metal, probably basalt and iron. At one point on the edge of the pit was a ledge that jutted out slightly. Right across from the ledge was an archway, leading into the castle. On the side of the arch was a lever. Skull Kid had never seen a more imposing building in his life. After staring for several seconds, Skull Kid walked up to the edge of the pit, right across from the door. He saw it was much too far for him to ever jump. The top of the archway was at the very, very end of his hookshot's range, but since it was made of stone, it would not work. It was too far to jump, and his Goron form could not make the distance without a ramp. A very high ramp. He would be able to jump into the lava as a Goron, but what then? The castle or the patch of land had no connection to the lava. He would be trapped. He noticed that pipes extended from the sides of the platform, some going all the way across the pit and into the wall on the other side, others just ending inches away from the platform. Sewage flowed from those pipes, being dumped into the lava. The pipes that did not dump were probably to allow water into the castle. He had no way of getting into the sewage pipes, and severely doubted he would find anything but a huge cistern even if he did get into the pipes. He would be trapped, again, not to mention disgusting. Skull Kid was at a loss. As he pondered, a voice behind him said, "Kid Skull! Doing how are you?"  
  
Skull Kid almost jumped off the edge of the pit in surprise. He whirled around and found Garo. "Oh, it's you. Garo, what are you doing here?"  
  
"To help I am here. Tael's absence in, your guide I will be. Off first, you get across chasm this. Help I shall." Garo stepped back then ran towards the edge of the pit. He jumped off, falling. As he did so, he extended his arms, letting the hot air rising from the lava catch under the large sleeves of his robe. Using the sleeves as wings, Garo glided across the pit, landing just inside the archway. "The hookshot use!" he shouted across the gap.  
  
Skull Kid pulled out his hookshot, aimed at Garo, and fired. The hook caught on Garo's robes, pulling Skull Kid across. He almost lost his balance and fell into the pit, but Garo grabbed him in time. Skull Kid smiled. "Hey, if Tael wasn't kidnapped, would you have done this anyway?"  
  
Garo shrugged. "Probably. Spirit guide your I am, all after." He started into the arch. "Come. Of the essence time is." Skull Kid followed Garo into the arch after pulling the lever, which extended a bridge across the chasm. He then entered Ganon's Castle. They were in a blue corridor, with a small set of stairs in front of them. At the bottom of the stairs was a door. They went through the door and were in another blue corridor with a small set of stairs. They went down the stairs and found another door. Going through, they entered yet another blue corridor with a small set of stairs. However, at the bottom of the stairs was a room with a few crates and a door at the back end. Standing on raised pedestals on either side of the door were a pair of Beamos, strange robots that fired lasers from their single, rotating eye and could be stunned by flashes of bright light, since their single eye was quite sensitive. They immediately noticed the two heroes and fired lasers. Skull Kid got his Solar Shield up in time, absorbing light from the Beamos' laser. Garo skillfully jumped over the Beamos' laser beam, somersaulting through the air and landing behind the metal monster. As the Beamos quickly turned its eye around, Garo hurled a Deku Nut to the ground, causing a flash of light that frightened the Beamos, making it shut its eye. Garo then pulled a bomb from somewhere in his voluminous robes and placed at the base of the pillar. He jumped out of the way as the bomb exploded. The lower part of the Beamos exploded, causing the eye to fall, which blew up on impact with the ground. Skull Kid had stored up enough light in his Solar Shield to fire a light blast. He did. The Beamos couldn't close its eye in time, and the energy blast overloaded its circuits, causing it to self-destruct. Garo nodded. "Very good, but you will need light inside this castle. Go outside and refill your shield, then come back." Skull Kid sighed and ran outside to recharge the shield. It was a good thing that sunlight shone above the castle. He quickly filled up his shield gauge and ran back inside.  
  
The way clear, the duo went through the door. They were in a huge hexagonal room. The door they had just come out of was one of its corners. They were on platform that went halfway along either wall to their left and right, then turned into a staircase that went down the rest of the wall and halfway down the next wall, where it reached the room's floor. A short distance ahead of that staircase ending was the beginning of another, which also went up half of the wall and half of the next one before becoming a platform that covered the rest of that wall and half of the next one, where it became another staircase that went down half of the wall and half of the next one. This formed symmetry. In the middle of each wall, between staircases (or if they were on the platform, just at the top of the stairs) was a door. Each door had a symbol of one of the temples above it, except for Fire, Forest, Water, and Spirit, which were split in half with half of the secondary Sage's symbol next to it. At the top of the walls, above each door, was an ornate spike that sent a beam of colored energy to the center of the room. The center of the room was a tall, wide tower that extended from the floor and went through the ceiling. Just in front of Skull Kid and Garo was a bridge that went up to the tower, right through a door carved to look like the mouth of a horrible monster, its green eyes glaring evilly. Above the door with the Water/Ocean symbol was another bridge extending from the tower, but there seemed to be no way to reach this one unless you were coming from the tower or going to the tower from whatever corridor the bridge was leading from. There was no way to actually get into the tower, even though the bridge went straight across. The six energy beams stopped at the wall of the tower and combined, forming a force field. "So, how do we get into the tower in the middle?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Powered the force field is by six barriers evil, representing each one the elements. To bring down force field the, cut off barriers we must. Follow." Garo walked to his right, going to the door with the Forest/Jungle symbol over it. Skull Kid went after him. They went through a door and found themselves in a small, round room with a door identical to the one they had came through, right down to the symbol over it, at the other end. Unfortunately, iron bars sealed it. In the middle of the room were four unlit braziers, arranged in a circle. In an alcove above the door was a fifth unlit brazier. Garo jumped up to the alcove and waited. Skull Kid quickly figured out what to do. He went into the middle of the circle and struck the ground with his Gigaton Hammer. Fire shot out in a ring, lighting the braziers. He then whipped out his hookshot and pulled himself up to the alcove, using Garo as a target. As Garo jumped back to the floor, Skull Kid pounded the ground with the hammer, lighting the fifth brazier. With all five lit, the bars retracted, allowing them through the door.  
  
They went through it and entered a rectangular room with a spike pit for a floor. Several platforms rose from the ground. Some of them had silver rupees on them. At the far end of the room was another door sealed by iron bars. At either side of both doors were a pair of fans that blew and did not blow alternatively. A Deku Flower sat on either side of the platform Skull Kid was on. The clever imp quickly saw what he had to do here. Certain platforms were too far away for him to jump to, so he would have to fly to them. The fans would blow him in the right direction. He donned the Deku Mask and burrowed into the nearest flower. He popped out and flew into the nearest fan just as it started blowing again. It propelled him to a silver rupee in midair and allowed him to access a few other platforms. It took a while, but Skull Kid got all five rupees, opening the door. After changing back to normal, Skull Kid and Garo went into the next room. It was small, with two stairs leading up to a raised platform. On either side of the stairs was a stone brazier. One had a light green flame, the other a dark green flame. In the middle of the platform was another ornate spike rising from the floor. A green beam of energy came from it, going though a large brown sphere and into another ornate spike on the ceiling. "So Garo, I assume this is the first barrier. How do I get rid of it?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Why you need light this is. All have you to do is concentrated light shine a beam of it on." Said Garo.  
  
"Sunbeam, laser, or blast?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Do will laser." Said Garo.  
  
Skull Kid raised his shield turned the dial to ray, and fired a laser at the barrier. He only shot for a second, but it was enough. The sphere swelled and exploded in green sparks. The flames went out. There was a flash, and Skull Kid and Garo were back in the main room, in front of the door. They looked up as the green energy beam faded away. "Cool." Said Skull Kid. Garo walked down the stairs to the right, past the door with the Water/Ocean symbol above it. He walked up the next set of stairs, past the door with the Shadow symbol above it, and entered the door with the Fire/Ice symbol above it. Garo walked through the door. Skull Kid followed. They were in a long chamber filled with lava. There was a platform in the lava, more like a branching bridge that didn't really connect to anything. From the door ledge, it went straight ahead, then went left slightly and to the right. After going right, it went left for a long way before turning left again. It then branched, one fork going to the right, the other going straight. The straight one kept going then turned left and stopped. From the right fork, the bridge split left and right again. At the far end of the room, away from the platform, was a platform with a barred door. There were a few other platforms scattered about the room, accessible only by jumping from the bridge platform in the middle of the room. Silver Rupees were scattered about. Garo jumped of the platform and used the hot air to glide across to the platform with the door. Skull Kid knew he would have to gather the rupees himself. He jumped to the bridge platform and turned right, collecting the first rupee. He turned left, following the path, and left again, ignoring the fork, then went left once more. He could now jump to a platform with a turning pillar spewing flame. Skull Kid jumped to the platform, avoiding the flame, and grabbed the rupee. He quickly jumped back to the platform bridge before the fire could catch up to him. He followed the path back and jumped to another normal platform that had a silver rupee. He jumped back to the bridge platform and took the right fork. He turned right again and jumped to a pillar with a Torch Slug. He killed the slug with the hammer and jumped to another platform that had a rupee on it. He picked up the rupee and jumped back to the platform bridge. He went left and grabbed the last silver rupee. The bars retracted. Skull Kid pulled out his hookshot and used it on Garo, pulling himself across.  
  
They went through the door, into a room that completely contrasted the last one. It was a small round room, the floor and walls covered in ice. Icicles hung from the ceiling and grew from the ground. There was a door at the back of the room, but it was trapped in a block of heat-resistant red ice. In the middle of the room was a brazier spouting blue flame. Icicles, and a horde of Freezards, who eagerly slid forward, hoping to freeze the trespassers, surrounded it. Skull Kid pulled out the Gigaton Hammer. Garo retracted his hands, replacing them with Garo swords. Garo darted around the Freezards, dodging their ice breath and smashing them with his ninja moves and blades. Skull Kid melted what was left of them with the hammer. Garo turned to Skull Kid. "Nice hammer a that is, but work on ice red it will not. Blue flame only can it melt." Skull Kid stood over the brazier, unsure of how to get the flame to the red ice. "Bottle use the." Skull Kid stared, cocking his eyebrow. Bottle fire? Garo shrugged. Skull Kid sighed and swung his bottle through the fire, trying not to get burnt. He was surprised by how cold the fire seemed to be. He was even more surprised to discover that the flame was actually in the bottle! He ran over to the red ice and uncorked the bottle, dropping the Blue Fire onto the ground. The Ice melted.  
  
They passed through the door. This next room was just like the one where the Forest/Jungle Barrier had been, except the braziers spouted red and white flame and the energy beam was red and white as well. "No need to tell me, I know what to do." Skull Kid fired a laser at the barrier. It swelled and exploded in a shower of red and white sparks. There was a flash, and both of them were transported back to the main room, in front of the Fire/Ice door. The red and white energy beam faded away. Skull Kid grinned. "Let me guess, next one is Water/Ocean?" Garo nodded and lead the way. They entered the appropriate door and entered a room with a deep pool for a floor. Several high platforms rose from the water. Skull Kid's was the only one low enough to actually climb onto. There were a few Tektites in the water, which Skull Kid quickly killed with arrows. A platform in the middle of the room had a crystal switch on it. Skull Kid shot the switch with his hookshot, causing the water level to raise until it was just below the edge of his platform. On all the platforms, dragon statues with hookshot targets on their necks rose. The closest one was on the platform to Skull Kid's left. He grappled onto it, Garo choosing to jump, and grappled to the next one. The final platform was against the wall. Skull Kid grappled onto it via the dragon statue, but saw he was stuck. The door was in an alcove at the top of the room. The dragon head was tall enough to reach the alcove, but how could he get up there? Skull Kid got an idea. He shot the switch with the hookshot, lowering the water as well as the dragon statue. Skull Kid and Garo climbed onto its head. Once there, Skull Kid shot the switch once again, raising the statue to the alcove. They went through the door and into the next chamber. It had a yellow pump with a crank in the middle of the room's pool of water. There were two other yellow cranks on elevated platforms around the room. A pipe led from the pump to the first platform, which went to the second platform, which led down to the inactive waterspout beneath the alcove with the door in it. Skull Kid turned to Garo for help. "You think you could become a hookshot target again?"  
  
Garo shook his head. "No. On your own this one must you solve."  
  
"Somehow I knew you'd say that." Skull Kid swam out to the pump and pushed the first crank. He then puzzled as to how to get over to it. There was no hookshot target. He thought of walking across the pipe. It worked, and he carefully climbed to the second crank, which he turned. He then saw he was in range and at the proper angle to hookshot to the final crank platform. After turning it, the waterspout came on. Skull Kid jumped off the platform, diving into the water, and climbed onto the waterspout while it was low. It elevated him to the alcove, where he jumped to and shook himself off. Garo soon joined him, somehow untouched by the water. They entered the next room, which was the same as the last two barrier rooms. The flames were blue and blue-green, as was the energy beam. Skull Kid shot the barrier with his laser, causing it to swell and explode in blue and blue-green sparks. There was a flash, and they were back in the main chamber, outside the Water/Ocean door. They looked up as the blue-green energy beam faded away. Garo led to the next door, with the Spirit/Solar symbol above it. Inside was a rectangular room with two Armos statues and multiple spike traps. There were five silver rupees. Iron bars sealed the door at the far-right corner of the room. Skull Kid moved the Armos statues to give himself some breathing room, then collected all the rupees, opening the door. They were in a rectangular room that was split in half by a wall made of iron bars and stone. Built into the stone side of the wall was a barred door. Just on the other side of the bars was a crystal switch which Skull Kid was easily able to hit with his Spinning Dagger attack, since Skull Kid wanted to save the Master Sword for Ganondorf. However, all this did was cause a small treasure chest full of Bombchus to drop from the ceiling. The Bombchus could be useful, so he pocketed them. He noticed the switch at the back wall of the other side of the room, out of reach. He suddenly realized how to get through. He pulled out a Bombchu, aimed carefully, and sent it scurrying over the bars where it exploded on contact with the switch, activating it and raising the bars over the door. Skull Kid and Garo entered the second half of the room went through the corridor on the left wall. They entered a room full of Black Boes, which they easily killed with the Gigaton Hammer and Garo's swords. There was a door on the right wall, but iron bars sealed it. Skull Kid saw several sun switches on the wall, all waiting to be activated by light. Skull Kid set his shield to beam but wasn't sure how to tell which was the right switch. He turned to Garo. "How do I figure out which switch is the correct one?"  
  
"The eyes truth that see the must you use." Said Garo.  
  
Skull Kid looked through the Lenses of Truth and saw that none of the sun switches were real. He saw that there was a floor switch, but it was on the ceiling! Then he noticed the scarab jewel on the wall over the door. Switching his shield back to laser, he shot the switch. Gravity was reversed, and they were now on the ceiling. Skull Kid stepped on the switch, opening the door. He turned to Garo. "Hold on to yourself, we're going back to the ground." Skull Kid shot the jewel and they fell all the way to the floor. After lying there groaning for a few moments, they limped through the door. They were in the Barrier room. The flames and energy beam were orange and tan. Skull Kid shot the sphere with a laser, causing it to swell and explode in a cascade of orange and tan sparks. There was a flash, and Skull Kid and Garo were back in the main room, outside of the Spirit/Solar door. They looked up as the orange-tan energy beam faded away. Garo led Skull Kid over to the door with the Shadow Symbol on it. They went inside. It was a huge rectangular room. The floor was a pit of spikes. There were two large platforms jutting out of the pit across the room. Neither of them was reachable. The door was at the far side of the room, unbarred. The ceiling was supported by what looked like a giant rib cage. The first platform had a Like Like on it. Skull Kid killed it with a few arrows, then killed the annoying Green Bubble that was flapping around the pit. "How do we get across?" he asked Garo.  
  
Garo pointed to a nearby ledge with an unlit brazier on it. "Light the brazier you must."  
  
"How? It's too far away to get to." Garo pointed to a lit brazier to their right. "Oh." Skull Kid walked up to the brazier and moved around, getting the unlit brazier in his sights. He shot an arrow, passing through the flame and lighting the brazier. A timer started ticking, and a series of translucent blocks appeared out of thin air.  
  
"Hurry!" shouted Garo, beginning to jump across the blocks. Skull Kid quickly followed. They made it to the first platform and kept jumping across the blocks to the next platform. They made it just as the timer ran out. The brazier went out. The blocks vanished.  
  
"Now what? We're stranded!" shouted Skull Kid.  
  
Garo shook his head. "Remember, eyes the see that the truth can." Skull Kid pulled out the Lenses of Truth and put them on. He saw an invisible bridge leading to the door! He quickly started walking across it, careful not to fall into the pit. With Garo behind him, he got to the door and went through. The Barrier chamber was the same, as always. The flames and energy beam were purple. Skull Kid shot the sphere with a laser, causing it to swell and explode in a shower of purple sparks. There was a flash, and they were back in the main room, outside the Shadow door. They looked up as the purple energy beam faded away. There was only one left. Garo led Skull Kid to the door with the Light symbol above it. They entered a round room with several treasure chests arranged in a circle. The door at the back was locked. Skull Kid still had his Lenses on, so he was able to see the invisible Keese and Skulltulla protecting the chests. He downed them with his Hookshot, causing another treasure chest to materialize. Skull Kid started to open one of the other chests, but Garo stopped him. "Empty these chests are. Not worth it are they."  
  
Skull Kid shrugged and opened the central treasure chest, finding…a small key! Skull Kid ran over to the door and unlocked it. They went through and entered a small corridor with a locked door, an alcove on the right, and a rusted switch in front of the door. Skull Kid smashed the switch with the Gigaton Hammer, causing a treasure chest to drop from the ceiling into the alcove. Skull Kid opened it and found…another Small Key! He unlocked the door and they went through. They were in a round room with a tall, three- way intersecting wall in the center and two boulders rolling around the room. Two alcoves were in the room as well. Iron bars sealed the door. There was a silver rupee in each of the alcoves, two in the alcoves formed by the three-wall intersection and one on top of the intersection, accessible only by a hookshot target. Skull Kid groaned. "I am so tired of these silver rupee puzzles!"  
  
Garo chuckled. "Worry do not. This puzzle I myself shall do. Wait." Garo darted around the room, collecting all five rupees in seconds. The door opened. Garo darted back to Skull Kid. "Come, come!" Dodging the boulders, Skull Kid followed Garo to the door. They went in and found themselves in the barrier room, except…there was no barrier. Just a blank wall where the energy beam should have been. But since Skull Kid was still wearing the Lenses, he saw that there was a corridor instead of a back wall. He quickly ran for it, barely dodging a Wallmaster. After going down the corridor, Skull Kid and Garo found themselves in the real Barrier room. The flames and energy beam were yellow. Skull Kid fired a laser at the sphere, causing it to explode in a burst of yellow sparks. There was a flash, and Skull Kid and Garo were back in the main room, outside the Light door. They looked up as the yellow energy beam faded. The force field flickered and vanished. They raced back up the stairs, crossing the bridge and entering Ganon's Tower. After going down a short corridor, they were in a circular room with two braziers and several Fire Keese flapping around, dive-bombing the heroes. The fire bats were easily dealt with using Garo's swords and Skull Kid's hookshot, allowing Skull Kid to look around. The room had four passageways, one for each point of the compass. To the south was the door they had come through. To the east was a corridor sealed by iron bars. It led to the inaccessible bridge. To the west was a staircase that wound its way up the inside of the tower. To the north was a similar staircase leading downward. Faint organ music could be heard from higher in the tower. Skull Kid thought for a moment then headed for the north stairway. Garo grabbed his shoulder. "Doing what are you?" he asked.  
  
Skull Kid shook Garo's hand off. "Look, I know what'll happen when I beat Ganondorf. The whole castle will collapse, right? That means any prisoners in the dungeons will be killed. I can't let that happen. The husband of a very good woman is down there, and I have to save him. I know I only have so much time, so I'll need help. Will you come?" Garo paused, then nodded. They ran down the stairs. After going down one hundred steps, they reached the bottom. They went through the door on the right side of the wall and were in another room just like the last one, except there were no Keese. Skull Kid looked from door to door. Garo didn't know the way, so he couldn't help. Skull Kid tried the south door. He found himself in a large underground room, a racetrack with many obstacles, such as water hazards, trees, sandpits, and fences. There were two starting gates, and a grassy corral in the middle. There were no seats. Skull Kid pushed open the gates to the corral. He could hear whinnies, snorts, and neighs. Skull Kid walked around the corral and spotted two horses. One was a ruddy red-brown mare, with a white mane. The other was a great black stallion, with glaring red eyes and a mane as red as Ganondorf's hair. Skull Kid noticed the mare seemed to be a bit fat. As Skull Kid approached the mare, she realized that it looked a bit familiar, like he had met her before. Then he realized. It was Epona! "Epona!" yelled Skull Kid. Epona looked up and whinnied in surprise, a bit frightened. Skull Kid ran over. "Epona, don't you remember? It's me, Skull Kid! You were on that quest with us ten years ago, remember?" Epona stared blankly, not understanding a word he was saying. The stallion snorted and trotted forward menacingly. Skull Kid tried to remember the song Link had used to summon Epona. He quickly played Epona's song on his flute. Epona's ears stood up at the recognition of her song. She galloped over to Skull Kid, whinnying at the stallion. He seemed a little unhappy, but he backed off. Epona nuzzled Skull Kid, immediately forming a friendship with any who played her song. The stallion snorted jealously and neighed softly. Skull Kid backed up a bit. He knew he had to get Epona back to Malon, but he had no way to tell her to go. And he didn't know how to steer a horse, he had only rode behind Link, holding onto him in fear the entire way. The only other time he had been on a horse was when he was still possessed, and Majora had stolen Epona from Link. He thought for a moment, then realized he did have a way to communicate to her. He pulled the Mask of Truth from his pack and put it on, feeling slightly silly. Epona and the stallion snickered a little. Skull Kid tried to speak to Epona. "Epona, do you understand me? If so, tap your hoof once." Epona looked surprised. She tapped her hoof once. "Good. We have established a method of communication. From now on, if you mean yes, tap once, if you mean no, tap twice, and if you mean you don't understand, tap three times. Do you understand?" Tap. "Good. Now, I want you to run through that door, up the stairs, and out of this awful castle. Okay?" Tap Tap. "What? Why not?" Epona looked at the stallion. Skull Kid looked at him as well. Then he looked back at Epona's belly, which looked a bit larger than usual. Then he understood. "Ohhh…you don't want to leave the father of your child, do you?" Tap. "Well Epona, I guess I won't be able to convince you to leave. I'll just have to go back to Malon and tell her you won't return." Tap Tap Tap. "Oh yeah, I guess you didn't hear, being cooped up in this place. Malon really misses you. She cries herself to sleep every night. But I'm sure you don't care about that anymore, do you?" Epona snorted furiously and started for the exit. The stallion neighed pitifully. Epona turned her head and whinnied something back. There was s ort of an argument, of which Skull Kid did not understand, but in the end, Epona won. The two horses galloped out the door. Skull Kid followed and found a confused-looking Garo in the middle of the room.  
  
"Why horses did up the stairs just run now?" he asked, bewildered.  
  
Skull Kid grinned and walked over to the north door. He opened it and found an enormous treasury, full of gold and rupees, not to mention other beautiful valuables. Skull Kid was impressed that Ganondorf had been able to get this much. The taxes must be really steep. Skull Kid paused, realizing he couldn't just leave all this stuff to be crushed when the castle collapsed. Sadly, there was nothing he could do but leave it. A bit sadly, he went back into the main room, past Garo, and went through the west door. He found another downward-going staircase that wound around the inside of the tower. He walked down one hundred more steps before reaching the bottom. He went through the door on his right and entered a round room just like the last room, at least in terms of dimensions. There were no braziers or red carpets. Torches dimly lighted the room. There were no doors arranged to match the points of the compass, but several small prison cells, more like tiny alcoves with bars over them. Each had a small locked door built into the bars. Each cell had a single hole in the ground, obviously a toilet. There were no beds or chairs for the prisoners to sit on. Each cell really was tiny, only six feet long and four feet wide. There wasn't even enough room to pace. It was awful. Even more awful was the awesome machine in the middle of the room, obviously some kind of horrible torture device. It had a level wooden board, like a rack, except it had tacks jutting out of the surface. There were six manacles, four for the limbs, one for the neck, and a tiny one for the…ahem…private portions. All manacles had spikes on the insides, so the tiny one was…more painful than the others. All the manacles were hooked up to two cranks that could be turned to stretch the prisoner. There was a cap that lowered from the ceiling from a tube at the top. It had a visor and a spiked chinstrap. There were complicated mechanisms all over the main board. Skull Kid couldn't quite see how to operate them or how they worked, but he could tell what they did. One had nine whips, for multiple lashings. Another one had a phonograph pointed towards where the prisoner's head would be. The record in the phonograph was labeled, "Screaming of a Thousand Banshees." In closer examination, the visor's inside appeared to be painted with a picture of a naked old man who had the bubonic plague. The second worst thing was what was hanging from the ceiling, just above the board. It was a huge spiked weight that could be slowly lowered onto one's body, slightly penetrating the skin, causing pressure from the tacks below and the spikes above. The worst of all were the sides. The wooden board was actually the bottom of a case that had two lids, lying open on either side. If they just wanted to finish the prisoner off, all they needed to do was close the sides. They had spikes on the inside. Skull Kid shook his head in disgust. The Gerudo Pirates had been horrible, but this…this was just evil! What kind of a cruel, malicious, depraved, sadistic bastard would do something like this? There was only one answer: Ganondorf. What was worst was that Ganondorf's cruelty was nothing compared to that of Majora. Skull Kid noticed that there were a few people in the cells. One was a thin, tall medium-aged woman with red hair. One was a medium-aged man with purple hair and a very bony face. The last was a young purple haired man, his eyes red, wearing clothes that were once quite nice, but were now shabby and torn. They all looked quite emaciated.  
  
"Who's there?" croaked the older man. "Another monster to taunt us?"  
  
The woman just moaned. The young man stared at Skull Kid for a few minutes, then spoke. "I'm very sorry for my parents. They've undergone a little worse in the way of torture than I have."  
  
"Not…that?" asked Skull Kid, pointing to the horrendous torture machine.  
  
"Oh, that? No, Ganondorf never uses it on us. He keeps threatening too. By the way, my name's Kafei. Those are me parent, Madame Aroma and former Mayor Dotour."  
  
"I'm still the Mayor!" wheezed Dotour.  
  
"He's slightly delusional ever since the takeover. Not because he's lost his important government office, but because Ganondorf keeps making him wear the visor with the naked old man."  
  
Dotour shivered. "The nudity…the nudity…"  
  
"What's with your mom?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"She's still stunned by the poor food we get and how thin she's become. She used to be quite, well…large."  
  
"I heard that, young man!" snapped Madame Aroma.  
  
"You seem quite sane. Why is that?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"The thought of my wife in dire need always keeps me sober."  
  
"Hey, you're married to Anju right?"  
  
"Yes!" exclaimed Kafei, lunging at the bars. "Have you seen her? How is she?"  
  
"She's fine. The Inn is going a bit downhill, partly because of the exorbitant daily taxes Ganondorf imposes, partly because she can't cook."  
  
"You're telling me! That's why I handled food preparation. How's Dotour jr.? And Grandma?"  
  
Skull Kid paused. "Your son's fine. Grandma…is dead."  
  
His face fell. "Oh no! When did it happen?"  
  
"Just last night. She had a heart attack, possibly from Anju's cooking."  
  
Kafei grimaced. "Dammit! If Ganondorf hadn't locked me away, she might still be alive! Who are you, anyway? We've never had visitors before."  
  
"I'm Skull Kid. I'm here to overthrow Ganondorf. Can you please tell me where the keys are so I can let you out?"  
  
"Yeah, they're right over there," said Kafei, pointing to a hook on the wall. Skull Kid nabbed the keys and freed the three. Kafei said thanks just before leading his parents up the stairs.  
  
Skull Kid waited a few moments then went after them. He found Garo back in the first basement, still slightly bewildered. "Did why three just…"  
  
"No time for that now! Come on, let's overthrow Ganondorf!" They went back up the stairs to the first floor of the tower, then started up the other stairs. One hundred steps later, they were in front of a door. They went in. They were in yet another round room. The organ music was slightly louder. The south door was atop three stairs, sealed by iron bars. The west door was a corridor, also sealed by iron bars. There was no east door. As Skull Kid and Garo stepped forward, iron bars sealed the door behind them. Two Dinolfos dropped down from their camouflaged spot on the ceiling. Drawing ninja swords and Gilded Dagger, the two made quick work of the dinosaurs. The iron bars over the doors retracted while the ones over the corridors were still intact. They went through the door, into another staircase. After climbing another hundred steps, they reached the next door. It was round, as usual, but not quite what they expected. The east door was atop three stairs and sealed by iron bars. Iron bars blocked the north and south corridors as well. The room was decorated with mirrors, and a large canopy bed was in the middle of the room. There were two extra, unbarred doors in the room as well, one to the northwest, one to the southeast. Both were made of glass. The organ music was louder. As they stepped forward, iron bars sealed the door behind them. Two Stalfos jumped out of their hiding places behind the bed. Once more, Skull Kid and Garo killed the enemies. Once both Stalfos were dead, an ornate treasure chest materialized on the bed. Skull Kid ran over and opened it, finding…the Boss Key! Skull Kid pocketed it then decided to check the other doors. The door to the northeast led to a short corridor, ending in a balcony overlooking the bleak landscape. While outside, Skull Kid took the time to recharge his shield. Then he went back inside. He checked the southwest door and found a palatial bathroom. He returned to Garo. They went through the east door and climbed up another hundred stairs before reaching the next door. They went in, entering yet another round room. As usual, the next door, the south one, was sealed by iron bars. So were the two corridors to the east and west. Blocking the stairs to the door were two inert Iron Knuckles. The organ music was louder still. As Garo and Skull Kid stepped forward, iron bars slid down over the door behind them. They savagely attacked the Iron Knuckles, managing to stay out of their way as they awoke. Thanks to Garo's speed, he was able to deal blow after blow without getting hit. Skull Kid's small size helped him similarly as he lashed at the Iron Knuckle with the Gilded Dagger. Finally, both Iron Knuckles fell, bursting into blue flame. The bars over the doors retracted. They went through the door, entering another staircase. They climbed up another hundred stairs, finding that the next door was locked. Skull Kid paused, then pulled out the Boss Key and inserted it in the lock, turning it and opening the door. They were in a room a bit different than the others. It was a slightly octagonal room, more like a square, except that the corners were rounded off. The ceiling was very high. In the middle of the room was a tall square metal pillar, rising all the way to the ceiling. The ceiling looked like it was made from a series of medium-sized metal blocks, arranged in a pattern so that they formed several rows around the central pillar. The blocks in the corners were largest. Skull Kid looked around. Ganondorf was nowhere to be found. The organ music was much louder, they must be close to its source. Now that they were close enough, Skull Kid could make out the tune and found that it was quite creepy. He turned to the ninja. "Where's Ganondorf?"  
  
Garo pointed to another door at the other side of the room. "Through there we must go." He started walking over to the door. They went through, and found themselves in one more staircase. This one had a red carpet, and stained glass windows for the outer wall. They depicted Ganondorf triumphantly as he stole, killed, and did otherwise nasty stuff. They walked up four hundred stairs, the music getting ever louder, until they reached the top, and the final door. The music was coming from the room right behind the door. Garo paused. "It is this, Kid Skull. This door past, no turning back is there. Ready are you?"  
  
Skull Kid nodded, drawing the Master Sword from its scabbard. The Sword seemed to shine with a strange glow other than the shine caused by the sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows, as if resonating to the evil lurking inside the next room. They wen through the door. They were at the top of the room they had just been in. The metal blocks that had formed the ceiling of the last room were the floor for this room. Actually, it was more like the blocks were placed to make a temporary floor at the very top of that tall room. The pillar from downstairs was the central block in the floor. The wall was covered in stained glass windows, none of them depicting Ganondorf, but instead showed some drab pattern of color. A red carpet led across from the door to the other side of the room. On the middle block was a throne, with clawed feet and a nasty-looking griffin carved into the top. At the other end of the room was a large pipe organ, the pipes decorated with flames. Stone fingers curved out from the top of the organ, leering monster faces grinning from them. Ganondorf sat at the organ, playing the haunting melody. Hovering just above the throne was a small crystal with a frantically glowing ball of purple light inside it. Tael saw Skull Kid and Garo and jingled eagerly. It was fortunate that the crystal was soundproof, or Ganondorf would know somebody was there. Ganondorf seemed not to notice the intruders. As Skull Kid and Garo took a step forward, thinking that the footfall would be disguised by the organ music, Ganondorf stood up and turned around. They had underestimated his superhuman hearing. Ganondorf was an imposing figure. He wore boots made of black iron, covered up to the knee by slightly torn Gerudo cloth, covered in patterns of the same. His knees were covered by kneepads also made of black iron, with little yellow spikes coming out of them. A dagger and scabbard were attached to his left hip. His pants, like most of his clothing, were a dark brown. He had a belt with part of a Gerudo sash in the middle. His broad shoulders were covered by more black iron, with larger yellow spikes protruding from them. His arms were thickly muscled, his lower sleeve covered with more Gerudo cloth and his hands were covered in Golden Gauntlets. His iron shoulder pads also gave him a collar behind his neck. He wore a necklace made of a strange blue metal with yellow- orange stones placed in them. He had a similar headband. He had a ski-jump shaped nose, greenish skin, and flaming red hair. He wore an evil grin on his face, and for some reason his eyebrows seemed to grow from his hair. He wore a long red cape that swished on his back. His eyes were frightening, red portals to the evil and hatred boiling just beneath his skin. His grin faded, however, as he saw Garo and Skull Kid. "What the? You're not the organ cleaners!" he exclaimed.  
  
Skull Kid and Garo blinked. "Organ cleaners?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Yes! I ordered some people from the cleaners to come over and clean out this clog in my organ! I've been playing it for hours while I've been waiting, trying to get the clog out!" He frowned. "If you're not the organ cleaners, then who are you?"  
  
Skull Kid's mind raced. "Er…er…we are the organ cleaners!"  
  
"You are? They've never sent over a Garo and a Skull Kid before."  
  
"We're new. Call it on the job training."  
  
Garo quickly caught on. "Yes. Sent us over they did. Here to clean your organ we are."  
  
Ganondorf looked at Garo. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
"Speech disorder." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Ah. Hey!" said Ganondorf, suddenly noticing the Master Sword. "Isn't that the legendary Master Sword, the blade of evil's bane?"  
  
"No! This is an organ pipe cleaner!"  
  
"It is?"  
  
"Yes. It is."  
  
"Then why does it look exactly like the blade of evil's bane?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Ganondorf frowned. "If that's not the blade of evil's bane, then why is it glowing with a sheen caused by something other than sunlight?"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Look, Mr.…?"  
  
"You may call me, 'Your highest Excellency, the Mighty and all-powerful ruler of Hymina, your lord and master Ganondorf the Great.'"  
  
"Mr. you may call me your highest excellency the mighty and all-powerful ruler of Hymina your lord and master Ganondorf the Great, the Master Sword can only be pulled out of the Pedestal of Time by a great hero chosen by destiny. Do I look the part of that hero?"  
  
Ganondorf looked him over for a moment. "You look like a pathetic, stupid imp not worthy to clean my toilet or even be put in my dungeon."  
  
"Exactly!" said Skull Kid, trying to restrain himself from savagely attacking Ganondorf. "I'm just an imp!"  
  
"Good point. How could any member of the lowest, weakest, dirtiest, stupidest, annoyingest, most worthless species in all of infinity possibly be a great hero chosen by destiny? Why, the very idea of you pathetic imps even having a job is laughable. I'm surprised that you've been hired into a position such as this. I would have just thrown you right back out onto the streets. Looks like they are relaxing their standards. Perhaps I should start taxing the air…"  
  
Skull Kid didn't think he could hold it in much longer. He was sick of being discriminated against. Most of the people in Hyrule hadn't minded him, possibly because he had been helpful. But this man was just cruel to say things like this to his face. He turned to Garo. "Shall we clean his organ?"  
  
Garo nodded. "Boost a I shall you give."  
  
They went over to the pipe organ. Garo lifted Skull Kid to the top of the machine. "Okay Mr. Dorf, which pipe is giving you a problem?" Ganondorf walked over to the organ and pressed a key. One of the pipes opened, but no music came out. "Okay, just a second." Skull Kid climbed over to that pipe, flipped open its lid, and stuck the sword down the pipe's length. He felt a bit ashamed that he was using the sacred sword as a cleaning appliance, but it's not like he had a choice. He scrounged around, wiggling the sword, before pulling it out. Strangely, the sword wasn't even slightly dirty. "Okay, try it now Mr. Dorf!" Ganondorf pressed the same key. The pipe opened and a note played. Skull Kid jumped down. "Well, that's the organ fixed. Payment?" Skull Kid reached out his palm, waiting for the money.  
  
Ganondorf scowled, dropped a green rupee on the floor and sat back down on the stool to play his music. Skull Kid frowned and picked up the single rupee. He carefully crept up behind Ganondorf. Now that the organ was fixed, the evil king couldn't hear Skull Kid's footsteps. Skull Kid felt strange, as if he already knew exactly how to wield the sword and use it properly even though Farore had not shown him how. Perhaps the Master Sword also made its wielder adept? Except that with the sword, he also realized he knew all of the sword techniques instead of just knowing how not to get himself hurt. He swung the sword, cutting into Ganondorf's flesh. Ganondorf screamed and whirled around, Skull Kid jumping back. "Why you little! How dare you attack me!"  
  
Angrily, Ganondorf raised his right hand. The Triforce of Power glowed brightly on it. Ganondorf concentrated. Purple waves flew out from the hand, encompassing the room before fading. Garo stepped back, looking like he was under strain. Tael seemed to be jingling in fear, but could make no sound under the crystal. Garo cried out. "Kid Skull! Darkness the waves of keeping me are helping you from! Sorry I am…"  
  
Skull Kid gulped. Oh shit He thought. Ganondorf chuckled and floated into the air, flying over Skull Kid's head to the top of his throne. He turned around to face Skull Kid. "I don't know who you think you are, attacking me with a cleaning appliance, but I will kill you for it!" Ganondorf laughed and flew to the ceiling. He flipped over, facing the ground, then dropped from the air, smashing his throne and striking the ground with his fist. The room trembled. The first row of boxes surrounding the central pillar fell to the ground below.  
  
GANONDORF: GREAT KING OF EVIL  
  
Ganondorf stopped floating and landed feet first on the pillar, now that his throne was out of the way. Skull Kid began circling the room. Ganondorf kept turning to face him as well. Ganondorf threw a thunderbolt just ahead of Skull Kid, exploding in sparks when it struck the wall. Startled, Skull Kid stopped. Ganondorf bent over slightly and charged at Skull Kid with unbelievable speed, trying to run over him or smash him into the wall or something. As Ganondorf started to run over the gap between the pillar and the blocks, Skull Kid knew he had less than a second to come up with a plan. He did. He sidestepped. Ganondorf was moving too fast to stop, and smashed into the wall, breaking through the stained glass windows and out onto the rooftop on the other side. Skull Kid grinned and sidestepped again as Ganondorf came smashing back through the wall, missing Skull Kid again. Ganondorf's momentum carried him across the gap and onto the pillar, where he tried to brake, but ended up falling into the gap on the other side. A few moments later, Ganondorf flew back up onto the pillar, looking really angry. Skull Kid continued to circle the room. Ganondorf kept hurling thunderbolts, not thinking to hurl them ahead of Skull Kid. As Skull Kid ran in front of the organ, drawing Ganondorf's fire, Ganondorf threw his thunderbolt, missing Skull Kid and destroying the organ. He roared. "Do you have any idea how much that organ was worth?!" shrieked Ganondorf.  
  
"A thousand rupees?"  
  
"Five thousand! You WILL die!" Ganondorf hurled thunderbolt after thunderbolt, desperately trying to nail his foe. It was a good thing Ganondorf hadn't been practicing his aim, and he kept missing.  
  
"Hah! Looks like you can't hit the broad side of a barn, Dingledorf!" shouted Skull Kid.  
  
Ganondorf gritted his teeth. "Do you know how much I hate that nickname?!?!?"  
  
"Not as much as you would hate it if I called you…Ganondork?"  
  
Ganondorf screamed and levitated up to the ceiling again, performing another Earthquake Punch. Skull Kid barely jumped off the block he was standing on before it and several others fell to the ground below, leaving the second row of blocks incomplete in several places. Skull Kid decided it would be expedient not to taunt the sacred-relic-wielding maniac. Ganondorf hurled more thunderbolts, none of them hitting their marks. Then he got an idea. He paused, then hurled another thunderbolt. Skull Kid easily dodged it, only to find it was still flying towards him! He barely raised his shield in time as the thunderbolt struck, being absorbed by the Solar Shield. Ganondorf was now lobbing homing thunderbolts. Ganondorf hurled another thunderbolt. Skull Kid suddenly had a wild idea. As the thunderbolt hurtled towards him, Skull Kid prepared the Master Sword. Then, he swung the sword, striking the thunderbolt and changing its polarity, deflecting it back at Ganondorf. Surprised, Ganondorf quickly swished his cape around, deflecting the thunderbolt again. Skull Kid swung, sending the thunderbolt back at Ganondorf. Ganondorf deflected. Skull Kid deflected. Ganondorf deflected. Skull Kid deflected. Ganondorf misjudged the timing and didn't bring his cape around at the right moment, causing the thunderbolt to strike him. He roared, temporarily paralyzed. Skull Kid raised his shield and fired a light blast, striking Ganondorf. Ganondorf howled in pain and fell to the ground, burning in a yellow-white flame. Skull Kid whipped out his hookshot, targeted Ganondorf, and fired, grappling across the gap. He then unsheathed the Master Sword and swung it. Ganondorf screamed. Skull Kid swung again. Ganondorf screamed. Skull Kid swung one more time. Ganondorf screamed. The fire vanished. Ganondorf started to rise into the air again with a 'I'm definitely going to kill you' look on his face. Skull Kid quickly puled out the hookshot again and targeted one of the stained glass windows, latching onto it and pulling himself back across. Ganondorf threw multiple thunderbolts, trying to catch Skull Kid off guard. Skull Kid absorbed each one using the shield. Since Skull Kid couldn't seem to be able to recharge the shield using the sunlight shining through the stained glass, these thunderbolts were actually helping bring the shield back to full strength. Ganondorf kept hurling thunderbolts at Skull Kid, only to have each one absorbed. Finally, the shield was back at maximum, but Skull Kid didn't want to risk losing all the collected light in one blast only to have it deflected by Ganondorf's cape. He had to stun him again. As Ganondorf hurled another volley, Skull Kid swung again and again, deflecting each one back at Ganondorf. Ganondorf was able to deflect the first few, but the others hit him. He roared. As Skull Kid absorbed the deflected thunderbolts, he quickly fired another light blast, dropping Ganondorf. Skull Kid hookshot over and performed three jump attacks on Ganondorf, performing more damage then the first three swings. As Ganondorf recovered, Skull Kid hookshot back to the metal boxes. Ganondorf raised his hand and started summoning a powerful spell, one that would surely destroy Skull Kid. Since Skull Kid didn't have any light, he would just have to block or try to deflect it. Ganondorf finished casting the spell, holding a black, evil-looking ball in his Triforce hand. He wound up and threw the ball of destruction. Praying the spell wouldn't explode when he hit it, Skull Kid swung the Master Sword. It worked! The energy ball rocketed back at Ganondorf. Surprised, Ganondorf didn't have enough time to shield himself. The ball struck him and exploded in a flash of light bright enough to fully recharge Skull Kid's shield. When the light cleared, Ganondorf had fallen to the pillar. Skull Kid hookshot over and performed three more jump attacks, then hookshot away as the depraved tyrant recovered. As he floated back in the air, a wild look in his eyes, his cape ripped and tattered, he paused. "How can this be?" he asked. "Any normal cleaning appliance would have caused that spell to explode, killing you. Why didn't it?"  
  
Skull Kid grinned and shook his head. "Haven't you figured it out by now? This is no cleaning appliance! I'm not an organ cleaner! This is the sacred sword, and I am the great hero chosen by destiny."  
  
Ganondorf blinked. "But…but…you're just…no matter! This next spell will finish you off, sacred blade or no sacred blade!" He raised his Triforce hand and started chanting again. However, he didn't know that the Shield was fully recharged. While he was gathering energy, Skull Kid fired another light blast. Ganondorf screamed and fell to the ground. Skull Kid hookshot over and performed three more jump attacks.  
  
The last jump attack was the final blow. Ganondorf shrieked and reared up. Skull Kid quickly took a few steps back. He looked behind him and was surprised to see that all the metal blocks were back. He looked back at Ganondorf, who was gasping and hacking, seeming to have trouble breathing. The waves of darkness faded, allowing Garo to run over. The crystal holding Tael shattered. "Yes! You did it Skull Kid! You did it!" The purple fairy eagerly flew over to his best friend, taking his old spot on his hat.  
  
Skull Kid smiled. "Good to have you back, Tael."  
  
"Good to be back, Skull Kid." Said Tael happily.  
  
Ganondorf was choking and coughing. "How, how can this be?" he wheezed. "The Great Evil King Ganondorf…beaten by this imp?"  
  
"Yep, that's right." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Ha! A creature no bigger than a ten-year old beat you! Without the sacred Light Arrows!" jeered Tael.  
  
"Loser! Loser!" chanted Garo. Ganondorf gritted his teeth in pain and roared in fury. The room started to shake. Garo looked worried. "Quickly! This way out!" he yelled. He ran over to the double hole in the wall made by Ganondorf's charge. Skull Kid and Tael followed him through the holes and out into the sunlight and fresh air. Skull Kid quickly looked around. They were on the very top of the castle. The room they had just left was the top of Ganon's Tower, a pointy thing sticking out of the top. The roof around them was a flat platform, surrounded by a railing. A gap in the railing led to a walkway that went down and around the side of the tower. The sunlight began to refill Skull Kid's shield. They only had a few seconds to register the sunlight as they heard a loud noise behind them. They turned around tin time to see the throne room collapse, the walls falling inward, crushing Ganondorf, who was probably dead already. As the smoke cleared, they could see Ganondorf's right hand sticking from the rubble, the Triforce of Power no longer showing on it. The trio cheered, victorious. Or were they? Suddenly, the ground started shaking. Garo was worried again. "Ganondorf! His last breath with, trying to crush us in ruins his of the tower he is! Hurry we must and escape! Follow!" He ran to the walkway and continued down it. Skull Kid and Tael followed. As they ran, flaming rubble started falling off of the castle walls. They jumped over a large gap in the walkway and kept going. They reached the end. To their right was a corridor, but iron bars sealed it. Garo stood in front of the bars and concentrated. The bars lifted, allowing them entry. They ran down the corridor and found themselves inside the room where Skull Kid and Garo had fought the Iron Knuckles earlier, entering from the previously blocked east door. Fallen pillars blocked the staircases, so they would have to use the west corridor. Garo ran over and raised the bars before running through. They were back outside the castle again, on another walkway. They ran down it, to the right, jumped over another gap, and reached the next blocked door. Garo raised the bars and they ran down the corridor, back in Ganondorf's bedroom. Since fallen pillars blocked the staircases, they would have to use the other corridor. They ran across, raised the bars, and ran through, always dodging the flaming rubble. They were on yet another walkway outside the castle. They ran right down it, jumped over a gap, raised the bars and entered the corridor. They were now back in the room where Skull Kid had fought the Dinolfos. The staircase downstairs wasn't blocked! They immediately ran to it as pillars slowly started to lean over and ran through. They raced down the stairs and out into the room at the bottom. Fallen pillars blocked the door back into the castle proper, so the only way out was through the sealed corridor. Garo raised the bars, and they rushed through, out onto the previously inaccessible bridge.  
  
Skull Kid started to run across, but suddenly found himself paralyzed! A Redead moaned and shuffled towards him, closer, closer, closer…until Garo lopped its heads off with his swords, killing the zombie. Skull Kid grinned at the ninja. "Thanks, man."  
  
"Time any, my friend. Time any." They continued across the bridge and down a corridor, up three small sets of stairs, and towards a barred door. Outside the door was freedom, the exit. Garo raised the bars, and they ran out into the fresh air. They turned around to see the finale. They had gotten out at the last second. The castle was rocked with explosions. One by one, each of the levels of the castle sunk into the ground. Then, the citadel itself toppled, crumbling and snapping in half. The lower half fell into the lava, the upper half falling over and smashing to the ground. There were more explosions, and more crashing, and more implosions. As the dust cleared, they could see that the entire floating island had been cleared of the castle. Much of the citadel itself had fallen to the lava below. Ganondorf's body was in the ruins, somewhere. Skull Kid didn't plan to check. They were still stuck on the floating island, but it would be easy to get to the bridge. They looked to the edge of the pit and saw that all the Moblins and a large group of people had come to see what was the cause of all the noise. The Moblins weren't sure what to make of the situation. They just stared at the castle ruins, stunned. The people started cheering, wondering who had done this wonderful thing. Garo turned to Skull Kid. "To them go, Kid Skull. Awaits your public. Luck good." He patted the imp on the back.  
  
Skull Kid grinned. "You all right Tael?"  
  
"Yeah, it's not like he kept me long, only several hours. Wow, it's almost sunset, isn't it?"  
  
"Yeah, it is. Looks like we have some time to kill before midnight." They walked over to the other end of the island, picking their way through the rubble. As he came into view of the crowd, the cheering stopped surprised. They weren't sure what was more surprising, the imp or the sword in his hand. Skull Kid waved his sword in the air, deciding he should make a speech. As he cleared his throat, Tael interrupted him.  
  
"Uh, Skull Kid?"  
  
"Yes Tael?"  
  
"I have two questions. One, if Ganondorf is dead, why is there still a dark cloud over the area?"  
  
Skull Kid paused. He looked up. The sun was still shining through the hole in the clouds above the island, but the dark cloud covered everything else. "I…don't…know."  
  
"Second, what's that pounding noise coming from the ruins of the top part of the citadel?"  
  
Skull Kid had a very bad feeling in his gut. "I'm not sure Tael. Actually, I'm very sure of what it is. But I think it would be a bad idea to just leave it."  
  
He started walking towards the center of the island, where what was left of the citadel lay. It was shattered and in pieces, strewn about the area, but part of the top was still intact. The pounding noise was getting louder, and not just because they were getting closer. The sound was getting stronger. The crowd, who had gotten over their initial surprise that their savior was an imp, had started cheering again, but had stopped because they too could hear the rhythmic pounding. Skull Kid reached the hunk of rock. As he did, he was suddenly aware of gasps of surprise from the crowd. He turned around and saw that a wall of fire had shot up at the edge of the island, encircling the entire rock and cutting off any access to the bridge. Garo was trapped on the other side of the wall of fire. He was waving his hands and pointing to the mound of rubble. Skull Kid turned around just in time to see what was causing the pounding. The pounding grew louder and louder and louder, and then…the rubble exploded, shooting out away from the island, most of it falling into the lava, others raining down around the edge of the pit. The rubble had exploded because something had erupted from underneath it. And that something was Ganondorf. Everyone in the crowd, even the Moblins, screamed. Ganondorf floated high in the air, looking quite dangerous. His cape was gone, and he had a very, very scary gleam in his eye. He stared downwards, his gaze focusing on Skull Kid, and only on Skull Kid. His eyes seemed to be saying, "DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" If looks could kill, Skull Kid would be dead a hundred times over. Ganondorf, trembling with rage, raised his right hand into the air. The Triforce of Power glowed brightly on it. Ganon roared, and strangely, it did not sound like his voice. The Triforce glowed brighter. Ganon was engulfed in a dark crimson flame, flickering and twisting angrily in the air. And as the fire consumed Ganondorf, he started to grow, to change. He slowly lowered to the ground, as the transformation became more and more progressive. Finally, the fire died out, revealing his new form, a form Skull Kid had seen before. He was fifteen feet tall. He had cloven hooves, like a bull. He had green scaly skin. He had a tail like a stegosaurus, with spikes on the end. His chest was heavily muscled. In his massive forearms, he wielded two huge broadswords. His fiery red hair grew into a mane. He grew strange horns from the side of his head. His eyes were completely white. He still retained his necklace and head ornament. His flexible, reptilian snout twitched and snorted. His mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth and twin tusks. He roared, laughing maniacally. "Ahahahaha! Behold my most powerful form! Behold my transformation! Behold your ultimate doom! Behold…me! Hahahahahaha!"  
  
GANON: BEAST OF DOOM  
  
Skull Kid raised the Master Sword. Ganon swung one of his broadswords, knocking the blade from Skull Kid's grasp. It flung through the air, landing in the ground next to Garo. Tael flew up defiantly. "No way he's trapping me in a little crystal thingy this time! Together we fight! Though it would help if we had that sacred sword…."  
  
Skull Kid drew his dagger. "Don't worry Tael. We have other means."  
  
Ganon laughed. The hole in the clouds was still open, but the darkness around it was getting worse. Thunder and lightning crashed down. When the crowd tried to flee, lightning bolts struck the trail in front of them, causing them to reconsider their urge to flee. Ganon grinned. "Now you have an audience for your demise hero. Feel proud." He raised his broadsword. Skull Kid rolled under the beast's legs, surprising Ganon. Before he could respond, Skull Kid stabbed Ganon in the tail. Ganon shrieked and spun around. Skull Kid nimbly dodged out of the way and kept hopping around the lumbering beast, getting in range of the tail. He slashed it again, causing Ganon more pain. Ganon kept trying to catch up, but Skull Kid was too quick. He kept ducking the blades or rolling under the monster's legs, always attacking the vulnerable tail. After six hits, Ganon fell to his knees, panting. The fire lowered a bit.  
  
Garo grabbed the Master Sword and threw it into the arena. "Kid Skull! Sword the! It use to slay King the Evil!" he yelled after it.  
  
Skull Kid saluted then ran to pick up his sword, resheathing his dagger. As he picked it up, he heard Tael's alarm jingle. He ducked his head, barely avoiding Ganon's swing. He spun around, his sword in hand and stabbed at Ganon's arm. Ganon roared and tried another swing from his swords. Skull Kid blocked with the Shield. He kept trying to get around to Ganon's tail, but the monster had gotten faster. Skull Kid backed away, hoping to get a better idea. Then he got one. As Ganon came towards him, his swords lowered, Skull Kid raised his shield and fired a laser right into Ganon's eyes. Ganon roared and shook his head in pain. Skull Kid ran behind the beast and performed a jump attack with the Master Sword. From Ganon's shrieks Skull Kid could tell it hurt. Ganon spun around and almost decapitated Skull Kid. The imp backed away from the beast. He prepared to raise his shield. Ganon crossed his swords, making a shield of his own that would deflect the laser. Skull Kid paused. Ganon opened his mouth and unleashed a blast of fire breath. Skull Kid got it with his shield. Because it wasn't really bright light, the shield could only hold it for a moment. Then, it shot the blast back at a surprised Ganon. The fire went past the swords and hit him in the face. Ganon roared and shook his head. Skull Kid performed another jump attack on the king's tail, then backflipped away from another giant swing. He could hear the crowd cheering him on, not even sure who he was, but hoping he would win. Even the Moblins were cheering for him! Skull Kid knew he couldn't do another trick like that again. Ganon backed away, preparing a new attack. Ganon uncrossed his swords and swung them, sending two spinning blades of energy at Skull Kid. Skull Kid blocked, deflecting the blades back at their sender. Ganon slashed, deflecting again. The blades hit the Solar Shield and rebounded. This went back and forth until finally, one of the blades hit Ganon, stunning him. Skull Kid ran around and performed a jump attack on the beast's tail. Ganon crossed his swords. They began to glow. Then, a powerful, twisting energy beam was shot forth, spiraling towards Skull Kid. Skull Kid swung the Master Sword. Surprisingly, it worked! The beam was deflected back at Ganon, stunning him. Skull Kid performed another jump attack on the tail. The battle went on like this for a while, the imp always coming out on top. After nine jump attacks, Ganon didn't look so good. His face was blackened and burnt, as was his chest. His hair was singed. His blades were cracked. His tail was hanging on to his rear by a shred of muscle. He panted and fell to his knees. Skull Kid ran forward. His Master Sword, sensing victory close at hand, began to glow a bright blue. Skull Kid raised his sword. Ganon's eyes seemed to shrink in fear. Skull kid slashed. He struck at Ganon, eleven times in a row, each time drawing green blood. For a moment, Ganon was inert. Then, he suddenly leapt to his feet, his swords swinging wildly, trying to kill the imp. Skull Kid couldn't even fend off with the sword. All he could do was block. Ganon was pushing him back, towards the fire, trying to roast him. Skull Kid saw that the sparks from the swords clashing with the shield counted as light, repowering the shield. In a few minutes, he was at full power. He knew he had to time this correctly. "Tael, distract Ganon!" he shouted. Tael flew into Ganon's face, jingling and glowing brightly. Ganon was half-blind thanks to the laser and various other attacks so had to shield himself from the bright light. This was Skull Kid's chance, while Ganon wasn't swinging. He ran right up to Ganon and fired a light blast point blank into the evil king's face. Ganon roared in pain, stunned once again. Skull Kid ran around to the tail. Drawing on his last reserves of strength, he performed a jump attack, severing the tail from its base. Ganon screamed and fell to the ground, his swords clattering away and disintegrating. Ganon slowly started to shrink, his form returning to normal. Within moments, he was Ganondorf again. He lay on the ground, dead. Skull Kid walked around to Ganondorf's front.  
  
"I don't know. I think he is." Said Skull Kid.  
  
He kneeled over to examine the corpse. Suddenly, Ganondorf's right hand shot out and grabbed Skull Kid by the neck. His left hand shot out and grabbed Tael. The evil king stood up, still not dead. He lifted Skull Kid into the air, the Master Sword falling from the imp's grasp. Ganondorf grinned. "Don't be so sure."  
  
Is this the end of Skull Kid and Tael's adventures? Has Ganondorf won? Duh, of course not! Skull Kid's gonna win! To find out how, stay tuned for the next chapter of Child of Time! And the final battle with…Majora. 


	14. Endgame

Welcome to the middle of the end. I'm pi2, your host in this fanfic. This chapter signals the climax of the tale, the final apocalyptic battle between good and evil. In one corner we have Skull Kid, child of the gods and great heroic imp. In the other, we have Majora, demon of power and crown prince of Hell. Will the imp have a chance? How will he escape from Ganondorf's clutches (literally)? Read on! P.S. This chapter will not be as long as the last one. Sorry. Oh, and by the way, you should not feel sorry for Majora at any point. Remember all that he's done. He deserves whatever's coming to him.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
As the wall of fire lowered, Skull Kid struggled in the evil king's grip, Ganondorf's hand clutching his throat. The monarch grinned. "You…have caused…me a lot of pain…imp!"  
  
Skull Kid rasped out. "How the…how the hell can you still be alive?"  
  
Ganondorf smiled. "Take a good look at the hand that's holding you junior! I have the Triforce of Power! When I seized it, I made a wish to be immortal, to rule the world! But since the Triforce itself split into three parts, leaving me with only one piece, and I was then thrown into Hell, I could never have that wish granted. However, my wish was partially granted. Whenever I am struck down, I will rise again, stronger than before. As long as I wield the Triforce of Power, I am invincible! And now, to repay you for my pain, I shall enjoy strangling you to death." He began to tighten his grip. Skull Kid was unable to breathe. He struggled, only maki8ng it worse. His vision was growing dim. But then, he had an impulse, a message from his infallible instincts. Groping, he reached for his dagger. Ganondorf was too intent on watching him choke to see his hand moving. Skull Kid pulled the dagger from its sheath and hurled it at Ganondorf's chest, piercing his heart. Ganondorf grasped and let go, his left hand rushing to his chest. Panting, he pulled the dagger from his chest, the holy blade burning his flesh. He dropped to his knees, clutching the wound. Skull Kid clutched his neck, taking a few moments to reoxygenate his lungs. Ganondorf, eyes to the ground, kept panting, then began to laugh. "Did…you…really…think…that…would…kill…me? I've…already...told…you…I…can't…die. Not…as…long…as…this…triangle…stays…in…my…hand!" He chuckled, wheezing at the same time.  
  
"Then what if it's not in your hand?" asked Skull Kid as he picked up the Master Sword, raised it high, then chopped down, severing Ganondorf's right hand. Ganondorf's eyes widened in pain and horror. "Will you still be revitalized?"  
  
"No…ack! How…can this…be? I…argh!…am Ganondorf…the Great! How could a…mere imp like you…ever kill me?"  
  
"No imp, no person, is ever just 'mere'." Said Skull Kid angrily. "We all have our own talents. And now Ganondorf, you shall die for your sins. Tell my uncle who sent you when you get there, would you?"  
  
Ganondorf's eyes dilated, freezing. He stopped breathing. He started to fall to the ground. Time froze. A tall, thin figure in a black cloak strode over, wielding a large scythe. Tael flew behind his partner's hat. The figure turned to Skull Kid, showing the skull behind his hood. "Ah, Skull Kid! I knew I'd find you here! Nice job."  
  
The imp smiled. "Thanks brother. He's all yours."  
  
The Grim Reaper nodded and turned to the frozen Ganondorf. "Ganondorf Dragmire, you are charged with the crimes of thieving from the poor, overtaxation, torture, excess brutality, kidnapping, blackmail, discrimination, racism, making a deal with the devil, warmongering, manipulation, trying to steal a sacred relic, attempting to desecrate a sacred temple, rape, and ruthless murder of many, including the parents of the one called Link. Your verdict is bad soul. Your sentence is eternal damnation." Grim stood back on one foot, winding back his scythe in a really cool pose. Then, he swung the scythe, making a psychic cut in the tyrant's body. His soul, a ball of light almost completely formed of black, with a few tiny spots of white here and there, shot out and immediately sunk into the ground. Grim turned to his brother and nodded. "Keep up the good work brother." He touched his wrist. Time resumed and grim was gone. Ganondorf fell to the ground, blood welling from his body.  
  
Skull Kid heard a crackling noise and saw Ganondorf's severed hand disintegrate, leaving a large golden triangle with a reddish tinge behind. It was three inches long on all sides. Skull Kid could hear the cheering of the crowd of people and Moblins. They started to run over, heading for the bridge. Skull Kid ignored them and looked at the triangle. "Skull Kid…is that…" asked Tael.  
  
Skull Kid nodded, reaching down to it. "Yes Tael. It is. The Triforce of Power." He touched it. Time froze again. Skull Kid blinked and saw the Triforce had vanished. He looked up to see his sister Din floating in the air. "Din…what are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
She chuckled. "I'm here to initiate you, little brother."  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Tael.  
  
"Skull Kid has claimed the Triforce of Power, as he was always meant to, just as he was always meant to wield the Master Sword. It is a part of you now, brother."  
  
"What?! I was destined for the Triforce of Power?! The sword I can believe, but this isn't possible!"  
  
"It is, it is! This is how you are meant to be! This is why you had to kill Ganondorf before facing Majora. You cannot beat the demon without the Triforce of Power."  
  
"But why me?"  
  
"It is your fate, your destiny. It is encoded in your very brain patterns. Just like Zelda, link, and Ganondorf, you have three names, as befits the three pieces of the Triforce. Link is the Hero of Time, the defender of justice, and the Fierce Deity. Zelda is the Sage of Time, the Princess of Destiny, and the Guardian of Knowledge. Ganondorf was the Villain of Time, the King of Evil, and the Beast of Doom. As for you…you are the Child of Time, the Imp of Fate, and one more title you must find for yourself. The Triforce of Power was always destined to go to you, just like it was fated to go to Ganondorf as well."  
  
Skull Kid absorbed this then had a thought. "Hey, does this mean I can make myself invincible and throw thunderbolts and stuff?"  
  
"I'm afraid not. You see, Ganondorf was only able to do all of that stuff because for him, power was all that mattered. He didn't care about courage and wisdom, just power. Because of this, Ganondorf was able to use his piece more easily, because he thought it would be all he really needed. You however, have courage and wisdom in spades. You have a great deal of power, but you have not accessed it yet. When you do, you will understand what to do next."  
  
"But what about transforming? Can I transform?"  
  
"Yes, you can. However, since it will be your first time, you will not be able to transform without the right initiative to trigger you, not to mention the added presence of all three pieces of the Triforce. When all are together and in harmony, the transformation will take place. And that does not mean it will happen just because you're in the same room as Link or Zelda."  
  
"How do I get the pieces in harmony?"  
  
"When the time is right, you will see…just remember what I taught you. It is now sunset. You have six hours until the Carnival of Time and the Solar Equinox begin. Good luck…"  
  
"No wait! Please tell me more…" It was too late. She was gone. Skull Kid sighed. He looked at his right hand just in time to see the Triforce of Power glowing on it before it faded away. "Well Tael, looks like there's more to me than we thought, huh?"  
  
They were interrupted by the crowd, which had reached them. Cheering, they hoisted up Skull Kid and carried him back to town, despite his loud protests. Tael giggled. From one of the hills overlooking the island, Garo watched. He nodded to himself as the cheering people and Moblins carried Skull Kid away. He would have smiled, if he had a mouth. "Kid well, Skull," he whispered. "Looks it like finished I have task my. Guide your I was. Now, now time it is me for rest…" The spirit guide known as Garo, formerly the spirit owl, formerly Kaepora Gaebora the Sage of Light, faded away, finally dying and going to his eternal reward.  
  
Almost six hours later…  
  
Skull Kid and Tael looked up at the clock face, slowly turning, ticking. It was almost time. There had been a long and rowdy party in celebration of the death of the evil despot, and Skull Kid had tasted beer (normal beer, not Goron beer) for the first time. He found he quite liked it. However, he knew not to go on a binge like he had back on Death's Head Mountain. He had found it hard to slip away from the party, as he was the guest of honor, but he finally managed to escape with the help of the Stone Mask. He was glad to have seen Anju and Kafei reuniting, but he knew he still had work to do. After waiting for hours, it was almost time. He had stayed silent, watching the clock, for the entire time. It was finally time for him to do it, to meet his destiny. Tael sat on his hat, silent as well. The clock reached twelve. The bells rang, twelve times. Fireworks went up and the cheering from the village got louder. In space, the planets aligned, signaling the Solar Equinox. The clock face and the two turning wheels on either side of it stopped turning and slowly rose up the tower walls. At the top, the wheels flipped over, causing the clock face to become the top of the tower. Skull Kid stood up and strode into the Temple of Time. It was time. He walked into the back room, into the clock tower. He walked onto the platform with the Pedestal of Time. A lever had risen up behind it. Skull Kid looked high above him, at the back of the face of the clock. He pulled the lever. There was a rumbling. Then, the moon circle on the clock face disengaged from the rest of the wheel and lowered, stopping at the edge of the platform with the Pedestal. Skull Kid stepped onto the moon platform and saw another lever. He pulled that as well. The other lever reset, and the platform rose up, reconnecting with the clock face. Skull Kid looked around and smirked. "Brings back old memories, huh Tael?"  
  
"Yeah, it does. So, are we gonna do this or what?"  
  
Skull Kid stared up at the grinning moon for a moment then pulled out his flute. "Yeah. Yeah, we're gonna do this."  
  
"Hey, you do know the Oath to Order, right?"  
  
"Yes Tael, I know the Oath to Order." He put the flute to his beak and started playing. As the notes came out, Tael started to jingle along. Skull Kid played it, over and over, sensing that something amazing was going to happen.  
  
In the Chamber of Crystal, the giants heard the song. They knew it was time. They knew it was time. They bellowed, singing the song. As they did, their bodies faded away, leaving only their spirits, dark green, dark red, dark blue and dark yellow. The spirits sun around the massive chamber, still singing, until they collided in the center with a flash of light.  
  
In Forestfall Temple, in the chamber where they had been held captive, Saria, Patch and the Deku Queen played the Minuet of Forest and the Sonata of Awakening on Ocarina, fairy jingle, and horns. The songs would have had no effect if played by any other being. But the Sages infused the song with the power of the giant, themselves, and the magic of the equinox. As the songs resonated throughout the forest, the spirit of the southern giant hovered over them. He bellowed, and exploded in a flash of green. The green sparks of magic flew over the forest, infusing it. Bark and leaves trembled, then ripped off of their trees, flying to the temple. The collection of bark and leaves made its way to the chamber where Odolwa used to dwell, massing above the heads of the Sages. It clustered together into a sphere. There was a flash of green light, and a huge new being floated to the ground. It was dark green in color, with a white underbelly. It was twenty feet tall and thirty feet long. Scales covered its body. It had a long tail that ended in a fin shaped like a leaf. Two folded wings, looking like giant twigs, sprouted from between the shoulders. It had a long neck with a reptilian head. Twiglike spines grew from the back and head. It had sharp teeth and fierce brown eyes. It roared, its cry echoing all over the forest. The dragoness Alexandra was reborn. She glared down at those who had summoned it. The Sages trembled. The dragon's gaze softened, and she bowed.  
  
In the racetrack in Death's Head Temple, Darunia and Darmani played the Goron's Lullaby and Bolero of Fire on their drums. The giant's spirit exploded in a flash of red. The sparks from the giant's spirit flew into the lava pit in the center of room, sinking down into the very heart of the volcano. At the bottom, they made contact with the form of the fallen Volvagia, giving him new life and restoring his ancient body. Volvagia screeched and erupted from the lava, no longer in serpentine form, but completely restored. He was twenty feet tall and thirty feet long, with a tail ending in a fin shaped like a flame. Sharp spikes grew from his back and head. He had mighty talons and forelimbs, with great wings extending from his back. His scales were red with a yellow underbelly. He had a horned snout and fierce yellow eyes. The dragon Volvagia roared, reborn.  
  
In the chamber in Hymina Bay Temple where Gyorg had once swam, Ruto and Lulu sang out the Serenade of Water and the New Wave Bossa Nova, the giant's spirit infusing the songs. As the giant sacrificed himself, his articles sank into the water, infusing some of it with life. Summoned, the resurrected beast emerged from the water. It was like a plesiosaur, but not as harsh looking. She was twenty feet tall and thirty feet long. She had a long neck with a fin at the top of her head. She had sharp teeth, but they were small. She had long paddle-fins with claws at the end, and a short stubby tail. Her eyes were a very soft blue. She swam over to her mistresses and gave them a big lick from her large tongue, causing them to laugh. The dragoness Aquarius was reborn.  
  
In the chamber deep beneath Stone Colossus, Nabooru and Poehunter played the Requiem of Spirit and Elegy of Emptiness on tambourine and harmonica. The giant spirit hovered over them. It exploded, showering the sand with its particles. A few moments later, the ground shook, and a huge figure erupted from the miniature desert. She was twenty feet tall and thirty feet long, with no wings. Her tail was long and spiked, and she walked on fours. Her body was covered in brown scales and plating. She had a long snout and short feelers extending from said snout. She had beady green eyes. The dragoness Ge roared, reborn.  
  
In the deepest chamber of the Shadow Temple, Impa paused before starting the summon spell. She smiled as she looked around the room, admiring what her minions had done to the place. The high walls were all decorated with the murals of her fellow Sages, her friends. Her family. Zelda, Link, and Skull Kid were on the walls as well. She put her fingers to her mouth and started whistling the Nocturne of Shadow. Drawing on her shadow powers and the power of the solar equinox, she summoned the dragon. The shadows all around the room quivered then sped from their dark corners, rushing to the center of the room, onto the drum. As the shadows massed together, forming a huge ball of darkness. The darkness swelled and changed, taking form. In moments, the darkness had solidified and gained features. It was a dragon, twenty feet tall and thirty feet long. It stood on its clawed hind legs, looking around the room. It's tail was long and spiked. Two great black wings, more like sails really, extended from the dragon's back. The dragon's head was much like that of the others. It had blazing red eyes. Impa and the dragon's eyes locked in a fierce staring contest. After a few moments, the red blaze lessened, and the dragoness Nox kneeled to her mistress.  
  
In the Temple of Light, in the Chamber of Sages, Rauru chanted the Prelude of Light. A ball of yellow light was forming in the center of the room, taking form. Finally, the spell was completed, and the dragon was reborn. It looked just like Nox, except his wings were not leathery, but feathered, like a bird's. He had a gray underbelly and golden scales. The dragon stared down at Rauru with his gleaming gray eyes and smiled.  
  
Skull Kid stopped playing. Tael fluttered. "Skull Kid, what's wrong? Why did you stop?'  
  
"They've done it. It's happening." Said Skull Kid. And so it was. All over Hymina, mighty roars could be heard. A small portal appeared high above Skull Kid's head. From each of the temples in Hymina, the dragons flew out from the entryways, looked at the moon, and blasted it with colored energy. Green, red, blue, orange, purple and yellow, (from the portal) all the beams of light combined on the moon's surface. The moon shook for a moment. Skull Kid half-hoped it would explode. It didn't. Instead, the moon's mouth rumbled open. A swirling funnel of colors descended, touching ground in the center of the clock face. Skull Kid turned to Tael. "Are you ready Tael? Sure you don't want to stay behind?"  
  
Tael snorted. "As if! I've come this far, I'm not giving up now! Let's roll!'  
  
Skull Kid ran over to the funnel, stopping at the edge. "Well, this is it. One more step, and we confront our destinies. I just hope he can handle it." He paused, then stepped into the funnel. He was immediately lifted into it. He was quickly shot into the air, flying towards the moon. After a few minutes, he found that he was leaving the atmosphere. He looked down and saw the world far below him. He was amazed at all that he could see. He could see Hymina, and all the surrounding countries. He saw Morpheme, land of the vampires. He could see Koholint Island, home of the Wind Fish. He could see the lands of Holodrum and Labrynna. He could see Aophis, the desert kingdom ruled and inhabited by talking snakes. Far to the south, he could see the mist-enshrouded continent of Atlantis. He wondered if he would ever go there. As he moved further up the funnel, he could see more and more of the world. And then, he looked away from Garaton, and saw space. It was beautiful. He could see stars, trillions upon trillions of stars. He saw galaxies and nebulae, black holes and white holes. He saw comets and asteroids, planets and moons. He could see the other planets of the system lined up neatly in a row behind Garaton, with a couple of others ahead. He could see the sun, a magnificent golden ball of fire. Then he looked behind him, and shuddered. Behind him was the moon. The mouth seemed to encompass all, it was so big. It was big enough to swallow the entire town. He almost screamed as he was sucked into the mouth, vanishing within, entering the inky blackness of the moon. As consciousness returned to him, he saw he was in a huge chamber with a gaping hole on one of the walls. He was inside the mouth. Inside the moon. He looked around the chamber, awed. It was incredibly ornate. The walls and ceiling were highly decorated in strange carvings. The door at the far side of the room was cleverly done as well. Skull Kid had to go up a series of stairs to get to the door. He entered it, and was surprised to find himself in what looked like a cave. A very long cave. It was more of a pit full of spikes. There were narrow ledges all around the cave walls. Roots extended from the ceiling. There was another door at the far end of the room. There were several wooden pillars jutting from the pit. Each pillar had two sets of rotating wooden bridges that didn't rally go anywhere. They were sort of like propellers. Each propeller spun over each other. Three of the four ends of the propellers ended in spikes. The only clear end had a Deku Flower growing from it. There were ten of these propeller platforms in all. A single Deku Flower rested at the edge of Skull Kid's ledge. Skull Kid wasn't too happy with the odds here. The timing here was too uneven, he didn't know if he could make it to the flower platform and burrow in before he could be knocked off by one of the spiked parts. He took a deep breath, put on the Deku Mask, and burrowed into the first flower.  
  
Ten minutes later…  
  
Skull Kid landed on the ledge with the door. "Wow, that was easier than I thought!" said Tael.  
  
"Yeah, it's a good thing all those spiked ends were just illusions or we would have been in trouble!" said Skull Kid. He pulled off the Deku Mask and ran through the door. He was in a square room with a high ceiling. There were four small blocks with gruesome faces painted on them lying on the floor. The walls were painted with clouds. The floor was green. There was a hole in the ceiling. In the middle of the room was a green geyser, waiting to take Skull Kid to the next room. A little cautious, Skull kid stepped into the geyser. It rose, taking him through the hole in the ceiling. He stepped off the geyser, looking around him. He was in another cave, this one looking worse than the last one. It was filled with narrow ramps and trails, all above a spike pit. Icicles hung from the ceiling, looking as if they would fall at the slightest motion from below. At the far end of the room was the door. However, the way there was like a huge maze. Skull Kid knew he could only make the jumps between ramps as a Goron, so he put on the mask. He looked around trying to formulate a path. Okay, he would roll straight ahead, then roll into the open treasure chest to rebound to the left, then rebound off another chest to the right, then go over three gas, rebound to the right off another chest, jump over a huge gap, then stop. He would walk over to the next platform using a bridge, then roll over another jump, uncurl, walk to the right position for the next jump, roll over, rebound off another chest, and finally jump to the exit door. He paused, curled, and began his roll. Through a great deal of effort, he followed his plan perfectly, making it to the door. He took off the Goron Mask and went inside. This room was identical to the geyser room in the Deku cave, but the floor and geyser were red. Skull Kid stepped into the geyser and let it take him to the next floor. He was in a large metal room with a pool of water. There was an open pipe leading away at the bottom of the pool. Having nowhere else to go, Skull Kid put on the Zora Mask and jumped into the pool. He sank to the bottom and swam into the pipe. He then had to navigate a huge network of tunnels, filled with Dexihands, Shell Blades, Skullfish, Desbreko, and other nasty underwater monsters. After what seemed like hours, he made it to the exit. He climbed out of the water, took off the mask, and went through the door. He was in another geyser room, this one blue. He hopped into the geyser and was carried up to the next floor. He was in a very ornate, empty room. There was a door at the far end of the room. He went through and was in a strangely colored room. As he stepped forward, iron bars sealed the door behind him and the door ahead of him. A Dinolfos dropped down from the ceiling. "What, are you all I have to deal with?" asked Skull Kid. "This is going to be easy." He easily slew the dinosaur, opening both doors. He went through the door, entering a tall rectangular room. The exit was atop a high inaccessible platform. In the middle of the room was an inert Iron knuckle. Skull Kid walked up to it and hit it with his sword, activating the metal monstrosity. Using the Master Sword, Skull Kid made quick work of the Knuckle. A treasure chest materialized atop the platform. Skull Kid grappled to it and found…Bombchu! "These things are kind of cute, aren't they?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"Yeah, for explosive mice." Said Tael.  
  
Skull Kid went through the door. He was in another tall, rectangular room with an exit on a high platform. One of the walls had a crack in it higher up. As Skull Kid stepped forward, iron bars sealed the doors. A familiar figure jumped down from the platform, yet it was strangely different. Skull Kid blinked. "Garo Master?"  
  
The thing that was and was not Garo Master chuckled. "I am and am not Garo Master. I took the offer of power given to me. Look at me now!"  
  
"What did it cost you?" asked Skull Kid, looking up and down his opponent. Garo Master looked mostly the same. He still had his cloak and mask. However, he had a few changes. His legs and feet were armored. His flaming swords were flaming axes. His mask had horns and a third eye hole. He actually looked a little like an Iron Knuckle.  
  
Garo Master shrugged. "Nothing much. Only the soles of my feet or something."  
  
Skull Kid slapped his forehead. "You idiot, you've given up your soul!"  
  
"I did? Oh well. It's not as if I can truly die, not as long as I never leave a corpse. In any case, if you wish to pass this door, you must defeat me…Garo Knuckle!" Garo Knuckle backflipped, then charged, swinging his axes. Skull Kid easily sidestepped, since the armor slowed the ninja down. Tael targeted, and Skull Kid shot the ninja in the back of the neck with an arrow. Garo Knuckle yelped and spun around slowly. "Perhaps this was a bad idea." he muttered.  
  
"Got that right." Said Skull Kid, performing a jump attack on Garo Knuckle. Garo Knuckle screeched. Bits of armor started falling off. This meant the former ninja was weaker, but also faster. However, he wasn't nearly as fast as he used to be. Skull Kid easily ran behind the Garo Knuckle and slashed with the Master Sword, tearing into the ninja's robe and armor. He kept hacking and cutting, and finally all the armor was gone.  
  
Garo Knuckle was now Garo Master once more, but he still had the axes and altered mask. His old speed restored, he was able to block Skull Kid's attacks. Skull Kid was getting frustrated. He couldn't penetrate this guy's defenses. Garo Master backflipped and charged, slashing his axes out in a wide cut. Skull Kid jumped out of the way and stabbed Garo Master in the side. He shrieked and sun around, his blazing axes cutting into cloth. Skull Kid was unharmed, but the same could not be said for his tunic. Angrily, he stabbed forward. Garo Master tried to block. Both were amazed when the axe shattered on impact with the Master Sword. Garo Master was too stunned to move away as Skull Kid performed a jump attack on his now- unprotected body. Garo Master shrieked and fell to the ground. He groaned and pulled out a lit bomb. "Die I shall, leaving no corpse…that is the way of the Garo…" he whispered. Suddenly, he lashed out at Skull Kid with his other hand, grabbing him by the neck of his tunic and pulling him close. "And so will you!" he hissed. Skull Kid struggled, but could not break the ghost ninja's grip. Tael couldn't get close enough to shock Garo Master. Skull Kid eyed the fuse of the bomb, which was burning lower and lower. Then, he had an idea. He knocked the bomb out of Garo Master's hand, exploding away from them. Garo Master gasped. "No…no! That was my last bomb! Without an explosion, I can't die without leaving a corpse! Which means…which means…" he gasped, losing air.  
  
"Which means you're dead for real, you bastard." Said Tael.  
  
"Noooo…" moaned Garo Master. He let go of Skull Kid. He fell onto his back. He lay there. At first, nothing seemed to happen. Then, his hands and feet vanished, and his cloak, mask, and remaining axe fell to the ground, the life inhabiting them gone forever. The iron bars retracted, but Skull Kid had no way up to the door. Pondering Skull Kid saw the crack on the wall, noting how it messed up the room's décor. Then he had a thought. What if it was covering up something? He fired a bomb arrow at the crack, blowing it up and revealing a concealed alcove with an eye switch! The explosion had triggered the eye switch as well, causing a ladder to appear. Skull Kid climbed up the ladder and went through the door. He was in one last geyser room. He hopped onto the yellow geyser and was carried up to the next floor. He looked around as he hopped off the geyser, expecting a puzzle or a trap, maybe even an ambush. There wasn't. He was in an ornate corridor, leading into the deeper recesses of the moon. As he walked down the corridor, he saw many doors. He tried each one, but they were all locked from the inside. He sighed and kept going down the corridor. And he walked. And walked. And walked. It didn't seem like the corridor had any end. After what seemed like hours, he reached the end. There was nothing there but a blank wall.  
  
He sighed. "Great. Just great. A dead-end. Now what?"  
  
"Maybe it's an illusion?" suggested Tael.  
  
Skull Kid touched the wall. It was real. "Nope. It's real." He said.  
  
"Well, maybe it's a door hidden by illusion or something. Use the Lenses of Truth!"  
  
Skull Kid looked through the lenses. "There are no illusions on this wall."  
  
"Well, maybe it's a secret passageway. Maybe we can open it by performing the right action."  
  
"Worth a try. Let's try pushing this carving here…"  
  
One hour later…  
  
"Dammit! We've tried everything! Pushing all the carvings, pulling all the extending things, yelling random passwords, shoving it, kicking it, punching it, blowing it up, nothing! This is just an ordinary wall! I give up." He sighed and leaned against the wall. There was a click, and the wall rotated ninety degrees, revealing another corridor. Skull Kid blinked in surprise. "Well I'll be…that was so obvious that of course nobody would think of it! I have to admit that Majora's one devious villain. Come on Tael, let's go!" They went down the corridor. It was exactly identical to the first one, with lots of locked doors. After walking for a while, they reached the end, except this corridor ended in a door! Skull Kid checked it. It wasn't locked.  
  
He opened the door and went inside. He found himself in a large anteroom, with a huge archway at the end leading into a main chamber. He walked through the archway. Before he could get a proper look around, he heard a loud metallic noise behind him. He whirled around and saw a huge portcullis lower over the archway, closing it. He looked around the room. He was in a huge round chamber. The floor was covered in sand. The walls around the floor were high, with stands above the wall. At the far end of the room, right at the edge of the wall, was a highly decorated booth with a throne, curtains, and bowls of squiggling grubworms. The high, domed ceiling was ornately decorated, as were the walls and everything else in this place. At the very top was a huge chandelier, with magic lighting and millions of little diamonds dangling from it to enhance the effect. The back of the throne in the booth had Majora's seal on it, as did the wall right beneath it, except it was placed in the center of a piece of stone carved in the same shape as Majora's Mask with carvings all around the inner seal. There were several doors lining the top of the stands. Darklings filed in through the doors, filling in the stands. Skull kid was confused for a moment. What was going on? What was this room? Then it struck him. It was an arena. The darklings completely filled the stands. Then, there was a bang and a flash of light and flame, and three things were in the booth. Floating on either side of the throne were the crystals containing a miserable-looking Link, Navi, Zelda and Tatl. In the throne sat the second most terrifying being in existence. The demon Majora. Majora grinned from his throne, peering down at Skull Kid. "So. It was you the whole time, then? I should have known my sniveling aunt wouldn't have let her precious little baby die at my hands so quickly. But she can't protect you now, can she?" He chuckled. "If you're wondering why I made the puzzles leading to this arena so easy, it was because I wanted to kill you myself?"  
  
"Why?" asked Tael.  
  
"Because I've figured out the final two ingredients I need for the portal to Hell. The blood of a child of time, and the dust of a purple light. In other words, your blood and your fairy's dust. All I have to do is kill you two, and then…then my father will be released onto your miserable dimension, and all others shall suffer as well…but let's see if you can handle one more opponent, to see if you are worthy of facing an all- powerful demon god such as myself."  
  
"All right, bring out your final minion, and I'll kill him like I killed your generals and Ganondorf." Said Skull Kid.  
  
"Oh, but this final opponent is no minion of mine. He is…well, why don't I let you see for yourself?" Majora raised his arms, concentrating.  
  
He created a ball of light, which he then hurled at the chandelier. It struck, and was illuminated and refracted a million times over by the diamonds, bathing the room in the light of the spell. Then, it faded. Skull Kid blinked several times to get the glare out of his eyes. He looked around the arena. There was nothing there. He looked up at his nemesis. "What, was that it? A ball of light? What kind of opponent was that?" Majora grinned and pointed behind Skull Kid. He whirled around and saw…himself. It was himself. His shadow. Dark Skull Kid. The shadow imp smiled and unsheathed his sword. Skull Kid paused then unsheathed the Master Sword. "Tael…how do I defeat him?"  
  
Tael looked unsure. "I'm not positive you can defeat him, Skull Kid. He's you. All I can say is…defeat yourself. I'm sorry. Do you want me to target him?"  
  
Dark Skull Kid spoke up. "I'm afraid you won't be targeting, Tael. My counterpart here is too honorable to do that, since I have no fairy of my own. If I were just another monster, it would be okay. But I'm him. He can't do something like that. Correct?"  
  
Skull Kid sighed. "Unfortunately, he's right. Tael, please stay out of this fight. I can handle him." Uneasy, Tael flew away to get a better view. Skull Kid faced his shadow. "So, do you want the first move, or shall I?"  
  
Dark Skull Kid grinned. "Whatever." Skull Kid charged, launching into a jump attack. Dark Skull Kid leapt out of the way and cut Skull Kid while he was down. Skull Kid winced and spun around, chopping at Dark Skull Kid, only to have it blocked by the shadow's shield. Dark Skull Kid and Skull Kid kept lashing out with their swords, parrying one another's moves each time. Once in a while, one of the two combatants would slip up and get hit. But more frequently, there was nothing but parry, parry, and parry. The battle wasn't going anywhere. Skull Kid ran away. His shadow chased him. Skull Kid pulled out the Gigaton Hammer and struck the ground with it, unleashing a wave of fire. Dark Skull Kid raised his shield, protecting himself from the blast. As he lowered his shield, Skull Kid charged, taking the shadow by surprise. Skull Kid whacked him with the hammer, stunning Dark Skull Kid long enough for a few chops from the good ol' Master Sword. Dark Skull Kid recovered and tried to cut Skull Kid, but missed. Skull Kid tried another swing with the hammer, only to have it blocked repeatedly. Dark Skull Kid tried a jump attack of his own. Skull Kid immediately took a leaf from his double's book and attacked him while he was down. Dark Skull Kid leaped up at unimaginable speed, whirled around and cut into Skull Kid's chest. Skull Kid gasped, trying to fight back the pain. He barely managed to parry the next attack, his adrenaline taking over. He hacked and slashed, trying to break through the defenses. He couldn't. He backed away and used the Spinning Sword Attack, striking Dark Skull Kid behind his shield. Grunting, the shadow jumped over the real imp's head and tried another attack. Skull Kid parried and attempted a stab. That was a big mistake. Dark Skull Kid jumped on top of Skull Kid's sword and cut into the imp's shoulders several times before jumping back down. Skull Kid was bleeding, but could not stop it. He knew he had to win at all costs. He screamed and charged his counterpart. They continued to duel, parrying again and again. They were going nowhere, until Dark Link attempted another jump attack. Having a flash of inspiration, Skull Kid didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his sword, flat towards the shadow. Dark Skull Kid brought his sword down, bringing the full force of the attack onto the Master Sword. As time seemed to freeze, it was evident to all watching that one of the two swords had to give. One of them did. Dark Skull Kid's sword shattered, causing him to fall right into Skull Kid. The two of them rolled around, struggling. Finally, they lay on the ground, exhausted. Struggling, Skull Kid got to his feet and walked over to his counterpart's body. He held his sword above the counterpart's neck, ready to cut it off. Dark Skull Kid looked up. He said, "Go ahead. Do it. You were the better fighter. Get it over with."  
  
Skull Kid raised the sword point down, preparing to kill his opponent. And held it there. He couldn't do it. He lowered the sword, resheathing it. The shadow was surprised. "I can't do it. I can't kill you."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You're me. Killing you would be like killing a part of myself."  
  
Dark Skull Kid got up. "Well, in that case…" He suddenly whipped out his dagger and held it to the surprised Skull Kid's neck. "I guess I won't have a problem with killing you, will I?"  
  
Skull Kid waited for the deathblow. It never came. Dark Skull Kid seemed as unsure as he had been. "Well? Aren't you going to kill me?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
Dark Skull Kid seemed to be trying to, but he couldn't. Finally, he gave up and lowered the dagger. "I-I can't. It's like you said. You couldn't kill me because I'm a part of you. But I can't kill you because you're a part of me as well. I guess I'm a failure at being a villain…" He paused, then stabbed himself through the heart with the dagger. As Skull Kid stared, aghast, Dark Skull Kid began to disintegrate. The shadow looked at his opponent. "You were a worthy foe. I am honored to be your shadow…" He was gone. Skull Kid felt something on his right hand. He looked and saw the Triforce of Power glowing on it. Zelda and Link's Triforces were glowing as well. Skull Kid suddenly felt himself getting better, his wounds healing. All of the blood on his body and on the arena floor evaporated. Tael flew over, ready to fight alongside Skull Kid in the next battle.  
  
The darklings booed. In their crystals, the prisoners cheered. Majora looked slightly peeved. "Humph. That wasn't nearly as good a fight as I had hoped! And your wounds have already been healed, preventing me from just collecting your blood normally. Oh well. Looks like I'll just have to kill you for it. For now, it is my turn to fight you." Majora got off his throne. He walked to the edge of his booth and leapt off, landing in the center of the arena with an earth-shaking impact. The darklings cheered the name of their master. He was twenty feet tall. He had two dinosaur legs, with nasty talons. He had a heavily muscled torso, in configurations unfamiliar to anyone not from Hell. His arms were equally muscled, with massive claws. Spines grew from his back. He was red, with black stripes on the limbs and green veins. His face was most shocking. It was multicolored, with spots and stripes. It was like the face of a dinosaur, but with a blunt snout. He had two horns on the back of his head and eight spines sprouting from hiss lower jaw. His eyes were huge and filled with an evil light. The demon roared.  
  
MAJORA: DEMON OF POWER  
  
Skull Kid drew forth the Master Sword, ready to battle his arch-nemesis. Majora roared and charged at unbelievable speed, leaving after-images behind him. Skull Kid sidestepped and reached into his pack, looking for the item second most likely to help in this fight. He pulled out Majora's Mask. Shuddering, he put it on. Majora turned around and saw what his foe was wearing. He grimaced. "You dare to wear the mask I was imprisoned in for over a thousand years? You dare to mock me?"  
  
Skull Kid nodded. "Yes I do." As Majora roared and began his charge again, Skull Kid focused, trying to find the power the mask held. Even though the God of Masks had said there was no magic inside the mask, the other demon masks weren't supposed to have any power either. Skull Kid thought it was worth taking a risk. He discovered the mask's power and activated it. As the demon was about to bear down on him, Skull Kid leapt into the air, soaring above Majora's head. As he landed behind the surprised demon, Skull Kid cut into his back with the Master Sword. Majora screamed. He remembered how much Skull Kid's dagger had hurt him one month ago. This was worse. This pain was unlike any other he had ever faced. He spun around and tried to roast Skull Kid with fire breath. Skull Kid deflected the flame with his Solar Shield and shot the demon in the eyes with a light blast. Majora shrieked and clutched his eyes. Skull Kid rushed forward and stabbed Majora. Reeling back, Majora flipped away and fired his heat vision. Skull Kid deflected that as well. Roaring, Majora prepared a meteoric fireball, ready to throw it. Using his mask's powers, Skull Kid struck Majora with heat vision of his own, stunning the demon and dispelling the fireball. Using increased speed, Skull Kid rushed over and performed a jump attack on the demon. Majora wailed and tried to smash Skull Kid with one of his huge fists. Skull Kid responded by poking the incoming fist with the Master Sword. Majora recoiled and quickly prepared a powerful spell of destruction. Skull Kid deflected it with the Master Sword. It struck Majora, doing no damage. Grinning, Majora struck the ground, sending a powerful shockwave in Skull Kid's direction, knocking him off his feet. Before Skull Kid could get up, Majora charged over and grabbed him. He picked up the imp and hurled him at the arena wall with enough force to smash a building. Only inches from the wall, Skull Kid stopped his route and turned around in midair. He floated higher, sitting in the air, his legs crossed, taunting Majora. Angrily, Majora hurled a homing meteoric fireball. Skull Kid deflected it with the Master Sword and threw a thunderbolt at his foe. It struck Majora, doing no harm. The demon threw more fireballs, trying to strike his opponent. Skull Kid easily dodged the fireballs and called up a spell of his own. He conjured a huge rock and hurled it at Majora. It exploded on impact, knocking Majora off his feet. Before he could get up, Skull Kid darted over and slashed him with the Master Sword, barely avoiding the demon's flailing hands. Skull Kid flew back up. Majora called lightning bolts down from the ceiling, trying to hit the imp. Skull Kid managed to deflect the lightning, which was physically impossible! Skull Kid decided to come up with a new attack, using the mask's powers. He got one. He pulled his pack off of his back and shook out all of the useful contents. He got the hookshot, Gigaton Hammer, Icerang, and every useful mask. Empowered by the mask's magic, the items flew around the room. The Gigaton Hammer struck Majora in the foot, hurting him. While he was screaming, the hookshot flew up to the chandelier. It put its grip around one of the protruding branches and fired its chain downward. With a life of its own, the chain and hook wrapped around the demon's neck, locking into place. Before Majora could do anything, the chain retracted halfway, lifting Majora a few feet into the air and letting him dangle like a pinyada. The Icerang struck him, freezing him into a block of ice to prevent him from casting any spells, but allowing him to be damaged. Now came the tricky part. Skull Kid focused Majora's Mask's power on the other masks, causing them to rise and glow. The Blast Mask stayed the same. The Stone Mask became invisible. The Great Fairy's Mask turned into a ghostly Great Fairy. The Keaton mask turned into a Keaton, a three-tailed ghost fox. Kamaro's Mask turned into a ghostly form of Kamaro, the dancer. The Gibdo Mask, the Garo's Mask, and the Captain's Hat all became giant versions of the creatures they portrayed. The Giant's Mask turned into a giant. The Deku, Goron, and Zora Masks all came to life. The four demon masks turned into miniature versions of their namesakes. The transformed masks converged on the frozen demon. The Blast Mask exploded multiple times. The Stone Mask barged into the demon repeatedly while invisible. The Great Fairy's Mask cast a spell on Majora, making him weaker. The Keaton Mask spun into Majora with its flaming tails. Kamaro's Mask performed a strange dance that seemed to drain more of Majora's power. The Gibdo Mask jumped onto the block of ice and started sucking life from Majora. The Garo's Mask cut into the demon repeatedly with its swords. The Captain's Hat slashed at Majora with its claws. The Giant's Mask punched and stomped Majora. The Deku Mask fired multiple super bubbles, popping inside the ice block. The Goron Mask released punch after devastating punch. The Zora Mask sent a powerful electric attack through the ice. Odolwa's Mask summoned swarms of flesh-eating insects that chewed on Majora's flesh, and performed multiple jump attacks with its huge machete. Goht's Mask hurled several homing thunderbolts, threw multiple bombs, and fired lots of lightning bolts. Gyorg's Mask spat a swarm of flying piranha, which nibbled on Majora just like the bugs had. Twinmold's Mask fired a powerful triple energy blast. The masks pulled back. Skull Kid flew in and performed multiple jump attacks, each one causing more damage than the last. As he prepared to do another jump attack, Majora's eyes glowed. In a blast of fire, the ice shattered. Screaming in pain and rage, Majora hurled spells at each mask, neutralizing them and dropping them to the ground. He broke free of the hookshot, pulling it down and tossing it away. He knocked away the Hammer and the Icerang. His eyes bloodshot, he turned to Skull Kid. Skull Kid barely got away from the massive blast of heat vision that the angry Majora unleashed. Skull Kid summoned back all of his items and tried to figure out what to do next. He didn't have time to think up a new plan. Majora unleashed a devastating flurry of attacks. He jumped into the air and smashed Skull Kid to the ground with his weight. He conjured a whirlwind that sucked Skull Kid up and hurled him across the room. He flew into the air and used a sonic attack, stunning Skull Kid. He hurled thunderbolts and lightning bolts, each hitting with deadly accuracy. He sunk into the earth and burrowed towards Skull Kid, erupting underneath him. He threw a ball of acid, eating through some of Skull Kid's clothing and burning him. He hit Skull Kid with an energy beam, knocking him into the wall. He became invisible, and unleashed another flurry of attacks. He pummeled Skull Kid into the ground. He struck the imp with heat vision. He hit him with a fireball. Each attack hurt a lot. Skull Kid fell to his knees, panting. He was bleeding profusely. Tael could do nothing. He couldn't lock on to Majora for some reason, and it wouldn't help even if he could. Majora loomed over the imp. He bent over, his face inches away from Skull Kid.  
  
"Did you really think you could defeat me?" he hissed. Skull Kid responded by jumping to his feet and cutting into the demon's neck with the Master Sword. Majora recoiled, his head still somehow attached to his body. He was really angry now. He charged forward and ripped Majora's Mask off of Skull Kid. He held it for a moment looking surprised. He tossed it back at Skull Kid. "Strange. I detect no magic within this mask. None at all."  
  
Skull Kid struggled to stay on his feet. "What do you mean? I just used that thing to pummel you!"  
  
Majora frowned. "That is why it is strange. In fact, the masks of the four demon generals had no magic either. How could you use them the way you did? It makes no sense. It's almost as if you have magic of your own…but surely that's impossible. No matter who your mother is, you're still just a worthless imp. Nothing more." Skull Kid suddenly realized how he had been able to use the Boss masks the way he did. He had been using his own magic all along, without even realizing it. He had tapped into his magic core each time, and yielded astounding results. But he couldn't truly use his power then. He had only been able to use some of it to fuel the masks, nothing more. He had no available channel for his magic to flow to now. He didn't even remember how to access the magic. Majora shrugged. "No matter. I have been toying with you long enough. Time to end this. Sunrise is in half an hour. The equinox is almost complete. It is time to use the spell." Before either Tael or Skull Kid could move, the demon lashed out with both hands. He grabbed Tael in one hand, and dipped a talon into a little of Skull Kid's blood, moistening it. He then turned away and walked towards the center of the arena, leaving the injured Skull Kid behind. Majora drew a complicated spell-circle into the ground, Skull Kid's blood being used as ink. As Majora stood underneath the bright chandelier, chanting, Skull Kid knew he didn't have much time. He struggled to his feet and raised his Solar Shield. The bright chandelier had already fully recharged it. He fired a light blast at the chandelier. All the diamonds in the chandelier caught the blast. Just like the spell that had summoned Dark Skull Kid, this blast was refracted and split many times over by the chandelier. In milliseconds, deadly light bathed the room. Skull Kid, cowering beneath his shield, was safe. The light extinguished all of the darklings, scorched the stands and the booth, and had a very adverse effect on Majora. When the light faded, the demon was standing there, his face frozen in a grimace of pain. He was paralyzed. Skull Kid knew he didn't have much time. He ran over and performed twenty jump attacks. Each one caused the paralyzed demon pain, all of which was only evident by the demon's eyes, which bulged each time a blow was delivered. The prisoners cheered, but their cries of encouragement not penetrating past the soundproof walls of their crystal cells. As Skull Kid raised the Master Sword for another blow, Majora unfroze and spun around, slapping Skull Kid away with a mighty fist. He growled. "You dare!?!? That does it! I'll kill you now!" Majora started focusing. The air around him started wavering. He was charging up his ultimate attack, the Demon Flare. Skull Kid was feeling slight deja` vu. He knew he was doomed. His mother wouldn't save him this time, and if he tried attacking, he would be immediately incinerated. He looked at the demon with all the hatred and loathing he could muster. Then, he had an idea. He could transform! But he didn't remember how Din taught him to focus on his magic. He recalled vaguely that he had to concentrate on a memory that evoked a certain emotion, but he didn't remember what that was. Was it rage? Anger? Those had worked for Link when he became the Fierce Deity for the first time. No, that wouldn't work. Ganondorf had concentrated on hatred and anger, and he had become a monster. That couldn't be right. Skull Kid knew he had a few minutes to figure out the answer. He tried to remember. What had Din told him to do to access his magic? What? WHAT? He ransacked his usually photographic memory, pulling up nothing. Then he remembered a dream that he had had, a dream right after Forestfall Temple. He had all but forgotten it. What had Din said in that dream?  
  
"Listen carefully. When battling Majora, you must remember something very important. Remember what I told you to find your inner magic. Focus on something that makes you happy, not something that makes you sad or angry. Then focus on your heart. That is the key."  
  
That was it! That was the answer. He had to focus on something happy. He knew fries alone wouldn't be enough this time. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Memories flashed before his eyes, of happy times. He saw himself, playing with the giants. He saw himself, befriending Tael and Tatl. He saw himself, freed of Majora's Mask. He saw himself, joining Link on his personal quest. He saw himself, becoming a member of the fairy Royal Family (sort of). He saw himself, reuniting with Link again after ten years. He saw himself, meeting his mother again. He saw himself, regaining Tael from Ganondorf's clutches. He felt momentarily at peace. Keeping the happy memories about him, he focused on his core, on his inner magic. Within moments, he made contact. He felt an exhilarating feeling go through him. He knew that time was running short. The power-up for the Demon Flare was almost complete. He concentrated on his magic, sending it flowing to the only available channel, the Triforce of Power. The Triforce glowed.  
  
Majora roared and unleashed the energy surrounding him, sending a wave of nuclear fire in every direction, engulfing the arena and everything in it in flames. The booth was completely destroyed, but the crystals survived. Link, Zelda, Navi and Tatl stared sadly as their last hope was wiped out. As the smoke from the blast started to clear, Majora grinned, seeing that even the sand had been vaporized by the blast. His spell-circle was still intact, and almost finished. All he needed to do now was sprinkle some of Tael's dust onto the circle, and the portal would be opened. He turned and raised his left hand, holding Tael above his head in preparation for the spell. Suddenly, a beam of red light emanating from the smoke hit him from behind. Majora screamed and turned around. He could see no one. Then, from the clearing smoke, a figure leaped out and attacked Majora with a gleaming blade. Majora shrieked and let go of Tael. Majora furiously fired heat vision everywhere, but could not find his assailant. The smoke faded away, revealing the figure. All in the arena gasped in surprise. The prisoners had a new hope. Tael had his best friend. Majora had his opponent. Skull Kid was still alive, all his wounds healed. As Majora gaped, Tael flew over to his partner. "Skull Kid…how did you survive?"  
  
Skull Kid grinned and raised his right hand, brandishing the Master Sword. The Triforce of Power was glowing on his hand. "I figured out how to get it working."  
  
Majora recovered. "So, you have discovered how to wield the Triforce properly. Well, it won't help you. I am too powerful for a mere imp, even one with a holy sword, to defeat. Despite all your efforts, I am still here. Time is running out, but I am sure I can both kill you now and finish the spell, or take some your blood and dust and wait until next year. Either way, you're not leaving this moon."  
  
Skull Kid shook his head. "I don't think so. This ends now. I finally have what's needed to defeat you, and I will. For everything you've done to Hymina and the rest of Garaton, I swear you will not survive this battle." Majora responded by hurling a massive energy beam at Skull Kid. Skull Kid absorbed it with the Solar Shield. He shook his head again. "That won't work. I'm going to show you a real fight now. Tael, I would suggest you watch the whole thing from inside my hat. Trust me."  
  
Tael flew into Skull Kid's hat, peeking out to watch what would happen next. Skull Kid raised his right hand, the Triforce of Power's glow increasing in intensity. He focused on it, willing the next step to occur. In the crystals, Link and Zelda's Triforces of Courage and Power glowed as well. The two automatically transformed into Oni Link and Sheik. They raised their right hands as well. Gold beams shot from either one's hand, striking Skull Kid. The golden glow from the three Triforces combined. There was a flash of gold light that temporarily blinded Majora. When the glare faded, he saw something that left him speechless. Skull Kid had transformed. He was still the same height, but different in appearance. He was covered in armor, like a knight. The armor was red and gold. The Solar Shield had transformed, losing its sun's face. The twisting rays extending from the sides of the shield had become curved, like saw blades. The Master Sword had changed as well, becoming longer and burning with a crimson flame. His hands were covered in platinum gauntlets. His helmet was built to hide all but his beady eyes, which had remained the same. Two small angel-style wings extended from the back of his visor. He had a blade extending from the top of his helmet. He had the Triforce symbol marked all over. It was on his scarlet knee plates, on his shield, on his right gauntlet, on his chest, and on the forehead of his helmet. He was an imposing figure, seeming to glow white. He was no longer an imp. For the moment, he was a god. All were awed. "What…who…who are you?"  
  
The being spoke. "I am the Child of Time. I am the Imp of Fate. I am the Champion of the Heavens. I am Omni Skull Kid."  
  
"How…how is this possible? You're just an imp! An imp! How is it possible for you to have this power?"  
  
"I have always had this power, but could never use it. Until now. Now, demon, prepare to meet your doom. This is the end." Omni Skull Kid lowered the Master Sword, pointing at Majora. He charged at inhuman speed, slashing Majora as he went past. Majora didn't scream. He couldn't scream. The pain from the transformed Master Sword was unbelievable, far stronger than it had been before. It hurt so much he couldn't even move for a few seconds. When he recovered, he turned around, glaring at the deity, who was standing at the other end of the arena. Roaring, Majora unleashed his fire breath. Omni Skull Kid raised the shield. Instead of merely reflecting the flames, they were absorbed. As the attack ended, the shield glowed and hurled a bolt of white fire back at Majora, hurting and stunning him. While he was stunned, Omni Skull Kid charged again, slashing the demon once more. Majora gasped, then quickly tried to think of a strategy. He stared at his foe, who was not moving. Omni Skull Kid stood still, waiting for the next attack. Majora thought of a spell that could not be absorbed by the shield. He got one. He gathered energy into his claws, hurling it at Omni Skull Kid. He raised his shield, ready to absorb the blast. When the energy hit the shield, it exploded, knocking the deity back into the wall. As he recovered and started peeling himself from the wall, Majora shot out of the smoke and slammed his full bulk into the transmogrified imp, smashing him back into the wall. Majora reeled back his fists and delivered a blistering series of punches, each one powerful enough to reduce a castle to rubble. As he pulled back his fist, preparing for a punch that would hopefully finish the fight, Omni Skull Kid hit Majora in the jaw with a punch powerful enough to shatter a mountain. Majora was flung all the way into the other side of the arena, imbedded one foot into the wall. As he pulled himself from the indent, he suddenly felt a peculiar sensation around his mouth. He touched his lips and pulled them away. His claw was covered in a strange black substance. Majora suddenly realized he was bleeding. He had never bled before. Not even all the attacks with the swords had drawn blood, they had all cauterized the wounds instantly. Majora realized that he had underestimated his foe. For once, he was actually afraid. Omni Skull Kid charged again, slashing him and causing great agony. Majora reeled back his fist, preparing the most powerful punch he could muster. He punched Omni Skull Kid right in the face/helmet. Nothing. Not even a flinch. Majora looked at his fist and saw it was bleeding as well. Majora looked back at the god. Omni Skull Kid performed a jump attack. Majora gasped and ran away, heading for the other side of the arena. He actually felt like crying. He could not. He knew it. He tried heat vision, only to have it absorbed and sent back at him. It hurt, but not as much as the fire had. Majora winced and considered his options. Most of his attacks didn't seem to work. So what would? He got it. He ran towards the deity at maximum speed. Omni Skull Kid readied his sword. Then, halfway there, Majora flew into the air and charged up the attack. He spread his arms and fired millions of fireballs at Omni Skull Kid. Omni Skull Kid raised his shield. He was surprised when the fireballs weren't deflected or absorbed. Instead, they exploded. To his horror, the shield was cracking. Majora kept pouring out fireballs. The shield kept cracking, getting weaker and weaker. Finally, it shattered, causing the knight to be exposed to the full brunt of Majora's attack. Why does it hurt so much? He thought. I thought this armor was invincible. It wasn't. The armor was cracking as well. Bits fell off, revealing the brown skin beneath. Majora finally let up and came to the ground. He grinned at the sight of his foe's armor, no longer as elegant or as perfect as before. It was cracked and broken all over. His helmet and sword were the only things perfectly intact. Omni Skull Kid suddenly burst into a charge, thrusting the Master Sword through Majora's side. Majora gasped and smacked Omni Skull Kid and the sword away. Majora charged over, running over Omni Skull Kid while he was down. Majora turned around, ready to run over him again. As the demon charged, Omni Skull Kid struggled to his feet. The Master Sword flew into his hands. He sidestepped the demon, slashing him in the side. Majora gasped and hurled a powerful spell point blank at his enemy's face. The spell exploded, damaging both of them. Omni Skull Kid's helmet was no longer completely intact. He grunted and swung the Master Sword. Majora jumped out of the way and threw a death spell. Omni Skull Kid swung his sword, deflecting it back. Majora let it strike him. It caused no damage. Majora roared and threw more fireballs like the ones that had destroyed the shield. Omni Skull Kid swung the Master Sword, deflecting the fireballs. Most of them missed, but a few hit Majora, stunning him. Omni Skull Kid dashed over and did another jump attack. Majora roared and knocked him away, throwing multiple energy blasts after. Omni Skull Kid got to his feet and floated into the air. He charged up his power, preparing a very special spell. He threw it at the demon. Majora blocked it, only to have it pass right through his shield and strike him between the eyes.  
  
Majora roared and closed his eyes for a moment. He wished he hadn't. He saw something through the eyes of someone else. He saw torture by many different races. He saw being beaten up by a Chuchu. He saw something cause the moon in Termina to fall, and do horrible things to the people there. He saw a million other things, each one horrible, and each one sad. And the entire time, he felt strange emotions that he had never felt before. He heard himself, the person whose eyes he was looking through, begging and screaming and crying. He felt guilt, feelings for other people, and true sadness. What was this? What horrible thing had been done to him? He opened his eyes, wailing. He glared at the floating deity. "What did you do to me?" he demanded.  
  
Omni Skull Kid shrugged. "What did I do? Didn't any of the screams sound familiar, demon? Tell me, didn't they?'  
  
Majora paused. "They all sounded like…like you."  
  
Omni Skull Kid nodded. "That's right. Those are all memories of mine. I compiled all my memories from those thousand years of pain and misery that I experienced as a thief and beggar. I have cast my angst onto you, so that you may experience it for yourself every time you close your eyes. Don't worry. It should wear off in about a year or so."  
  
Majora growled, willing himself not to blink. Not that he really needed to. "Then there is only one thing I can do. DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Majora rocketed into the air, trying to reach for his foe. As he was about to grab the deity, Omni Skull Kid threw the Master Sword. It elongated and homed in on Majora and stabbed him, piercing his heart and going all the way out to the other side of his body. Majora could not even gasp. The pain was far worse than anything he had ever felt before was. The sheer agony he felt was indescribable. He could not even close his eyes, not that would help. All he could do was cry from the pain. Omni Skull Kid floated to the center of the room.  
  
"Like I said Majora, this is the end. I have one final attack up my sleeve. It's going to be a doozy. Tael, are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah. This is cool! What's this final attack?"  
  
"It's one that may very well kill us all."  
  
There was a pause. "Will it affect the people on Garaton?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Will it finish Majora off?"  
  
"Yes. Definitely."  
  
"Then go for it."  
  
Omni Skull Kid nodded and concentrated. The Triforce symbols all over his body started gleaming. As he concentrated, the air around him started to get brighter and brighter, making it harder to see the figure. It was the antithesis Majora's ultimate attack. It was the Holy Flare. Omni Skull Kid kept charging it up. The air around him was too bright for a normal person to look at for long without being blinded. The charge-up was much quicker than it had been for the Demon Flare. Even when he reached the maximum safety capacity for the attack, he kept charging. He didn't want to leave anything to chance. If he screwed this up, the Master Sword would fall out of Majora and Omni Skull Kid might be dead, while the demon was still alive. He kept on going, gathering more and more energy. It felt as if every gluon in his body was supercharged with power. At that point, he knew he had to release the energy right then, or else he would disintegrate and the energy would dispel. He stopped charging and let go. The energy expanded from him in a huge sphere of light, encompassing the entire chamber.  
  
Everybody on the planet below (all those on the side of the world facing the moon, anyway) suddenly had an urge to look up. They did, just in time to see something incredible. The moon rumbled. The moon shook. The moon cracked and splintered. The moon exploded into zillions of pieces, each disintegrated by the blast of colorful pyrotechnics caused by the boom. Everyone in Hymina cheered and rejoiced the defeat of the demon, having no idea of the sacrifices made for his destruction.  
  
And so ends the demon Majora. But is this the end of the wielders of the Triforce as well? Is this really the end? Review and tell me for yourself. Tell me whether or not you want a final chapter. 


	15. Finale

At long last, this is it. The end. The final chapter. Will Skull Kid have a happy ending? We won't be seeing what happened to our villains, but you probably know by now they've been banished back to Hell. I'm glad to complete this novel. I want to thank all my readers, most of which Krys711. Speaking of which, Krys, I've named a character in this very chapter after you. I hope you don't mind. She won't have your personality, but she will have your name. I'm sure a sequel to this will be forthcoming. Anyway, enjoy the aftermath. And don't forget to review!  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Skull Kid blinked. He was back to normal. He and Tael were in the Chamber of Crystal once more. The Goddess of Time hovered above him. He smiled. "Hi mom."  
  
The Goddess chuckled. "Congratulations, Skull Kid. You have done it. You've saved all dimensions from destruction. I'm very proud of you."  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Eh, it was all in a month's work."  
  
"You have comprehended your own destiny, fulfilling part of it. Nice job."  
  
"Wait, what do you mean part of his destiny?" asked Tael.  
  
"Skull Kid's true purpose is basically the same as it was before Majora emerged. His true purpose is to live. That's why I gave him a soul, so he could be truly alive. And it seems that was a good choice."  
  
"So, does this mean I'm done with the whole hero business?" asked Skull Kid.  
  
"I am afraid not. You're stuck with the job, just like Link."  
  
He grinned. "Cool."  
  
"I would offer you a reward, but I do not think that will be necessary. I believe you will get your own reward soon, very soon. Do you want me to send you right to Mesmoria?"  
  
"No, that would be kind of awkward. I can get there myself."  
  
She bobbed. "Good. Shall I send you back now?" He nodded. "Good. By the way, Din wanted to say you'll be a great wielder of her Triforce. Farewell, my son. I love you. We will meet again."  
  
There was a flash. Suddenly, Skull Kid was in space, falling towards Garaton in a tunnel of blue light. Across a divide was another tunnel. It was occupied as well. Link and Zelda were falling in the tunnel, heading towards a slightly different location that Skull Kid. Two spheres of light flew towards them. It was Navi and Tatl. Navi giggled. "Great job. That was really impressive. Thanks for everything." She said.  
  
Tatl did a little dance with Tael. "Wow Tael, you've grown up so much! I guess I shouldn't be calling you a kid anymore."  
  
"No, you shouldn't." said Tael happily.  
  
Tatl flew over to Skull Kid. "This is going to be one heck of a story to tell Spryte when we get home, isn't it?"  
  
Skull Kid was surprised. "You don't mean you're actually coming back with us?"  
  
"Well, why shouldn't I? I have an obligation after all."  
  
"You have a more important one! You have to stay with Zelda and be her fairy partner."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"She does?"  
  
"She does?"  
  
"Yes! Look at it this way. Each of us Triforce wielders has a fairy. I have Tael, Link has Navi, and Zelda has you, Tatl. You can't just abandon her!"  
  
"Yeah, it's obvious that you should stay together. It's destiny or something." Said Tael.  
  
Tatl was unsure. "But…what will Spryte think?"  
  
"She'll understand. We'll just tell her the whole thing." Said Skull Kid. Tatl still seemed unsure. "Oh, just go already. You know you want to." Said Skull Kid. She paused, then kissed Skull Kid and Tael. She said good- bye and flew back across the divide.  
  
Navi chuckled. "That was a very nice move, boys. I imagine both Zelda and Link will need a fairy around, now that they're getting married. Well, I'll be seeing you. Tell Mom I said hi." She flew back across the divide, to her partner. Skull Kid looked after them and saw something that made him feel strange. Zelda and Link were in the middle of a passionate kiss. He was jealous. Jealous of Link and Zelda. They had each other. And who did Skull Kid have? Nobody. He had no relations with anyone of the opposite sex of his species. As far as he knew, there were no female imps. Skull Kid realized that he had always been wishing for a significant other, a female of his own kind. He had just never known it. It was another part of his instincts, another thing hidden from himself. He realized he wanted, no, needed that kind of love. As he watched Zelda and Link recede from him, still kissing, he entered the atmosphere. After a few minutes, he was slowed down and dropped off in the Lost Woods. He looked up as the tunnel retracted. He sighed and started walking through the woods. The sun rose, signaling the end of the solar equinox.  
  
Tael flew into his face. "Hey Skull Kid, why aren't we warping to Mesmoria?"  
  
"We will, Tael. We will. Just not right now." He shuffled past the trees.  
  
"Skull Kid, is something wrong?"  
  
"Wrong? What could be wrong? I'm a hero. I've just defeated the second most evil being in existence. What could possibly be wrong? Just because I don't have a girlfriend doesn't mean anything's wrong. Nope. Nothing at all." Tael took the hint and shut up. They continued through the forest. Skull Kid wasn't even sure why he was doing it anymore. He should just warp to the city. But something, his instincts perhaps, told him to keep walking the way he was going. His instincts had never been wrong before, why should they be wrong now? He kept going.  
  
Soon, he could hear noises up ahead. Jeers and taunts. Probably other Skull Kids. He decided to see how the once-human imps were doing. He walked into a clearing and saw a pair of Skull Kids, adorned with Skull Masks, bothering someone. It looked like another imp. As he got closer, he could hear what they were saying. The first Skull Kid said, "What kind of imp are you anyway? You're so weird looking!"  
  
"Yeah, what a weird imp!" said the other.  
  
The imp they were taunting moaned. "Look, just leave me alone, okay? I feel bad enough as it is." Skull Kid blinked. Was he imagining things? The tormented imp sounded like a girl. He came closer.  
  
The first Skull Kid said, "You don't belong here little girly! Go on, leave!"  
  
The other imp, now obviously a girl, said, "Look, I'll get out if you tell me where the exit is!"  
  
The second Skull Kid snorted. "How can you not know the way out? You have a fairy!"  
  
Skull Kid started to run over. He could now see what could only be a female imp. She looked almost exactly like your average imp. She had a red- brown tunic and shorts. She had yellow-green shorts and gloves. She had a belt made of several metal rings tied together. She had brown skin and a tattered scarecrow-like hat. She had a round head, beady eyes, and a beak. However, there were a few differences between her and male imps. Her beak was slightly more petite, and her beady eyes had eyelashes. She didn't look too happy. A pink fairy flew from her hat. "Hey, leave Krys alone! Just because I'm not from the forest doesn't mean you can rag on her because I don't know where we're going!"  
  
The Skull Kids laughed. "Hah, what losers!" one of them said.  
  
Skull Kid got over. "Ahem."  
  
The three imps and one fairy noticed him. "Oh, do you want to pick on me too?" asked Krys miserably.  
  
"No, I'm here to help you." He pulled the Master Sword from his sheath, turning to the two bullies. "Begone, varlets, or I shalt have to smite thee with mine mighty blade." The two Skull Kids stared at him, then ran away. He turned to Krys. "Hi, my name's Skull Kid. And you are…?"  
  
"Krys. Thanks for rescuing me. This is my fairy, Serah."  
  
"Hi!" said Serah.  
  
"I'm Tael." Said Tael. "Pleased to meet you."  
  
Krys looked at the Master Sword. "Where did you get that thing?"  
  
"I found it."  
  
She chuckled. "You're funny. Where did you really get it?"  
  
"I pulled it from a stone in a clock tower. How did you end up with a fairy? Did you use to be human?"  
  
Krys sighed. "Well, seeing as you've gotten rid of those bullies, I guess I could tell you." She sat down on a tree stump. Skull Kid sat on the ground. "As to your second question, I'm not a human. I never was one. I don't really know where I came from, my earliest memories are waking up in a gutter in a city in a faraway land. I wandered about, being scorned by many. I ended up saving a pink fairy from being bottled and used as a nightlight, and you can see that she's stayed with me ever since. I decided to come to Hyrule, since I heard it was a nicer place. I made my way here, and arrived three weeks ago. It wasn't as nice as I had thought. Of course, that probably had to do with the weird moon, but I digress. We decided to try someplace else, so headed for these forests. We got here a few days ago and have been lost ever since. So, what's your story?"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "It's a very long story. Would you like to hear it?" She nodded. Skull Kid began his tale. Tael joined in to add certain details whenever Skull Kid forgot something important. It took a few hours, but he told her the entire tale, including his recent defeat of Majora. He finished and looked to her. "That's my story. What do you think?"  
  
Krys smiled. "That's the most outlandish story I've ever heard. It must be true."  
  
"Um, what kind of logic is that?"  
  
"I can tell you were being truthful. I can see it in your eyes. You are a trustworthy person."  
  
"Besides, the big sword and the fact that the Triforce thing on the back of your glove is glowing kind of proves your story." Said Serah.  
  
Skull Kid got up. "Hey, do you want me to get you some lunch? Afterwards, I can show you how to get out of here."  
  
Krys nodded. "Sure. I'll wait here."  
  
Skull Kid walked into the woods, looking for berries. As he did, he frowned. He felt strange. When he saw Krys, he felt a strange emotion, one that he had never felt before, yet was somehow familiar. What was it? He had experienced most emotions at one point or another during his long lifetime. As he concentrated, trying to figure out what emotion it was, he found it. It was so obvious he was surprised he hadn't seen it before. It was the emotion he felt for Spryte, for his mother, for his sisters, and at the same time it was different. It was love. He couldn't believe it. He had only met this girl just this morning, and he was in love with her. She was the first female imp he had ever seen, so why shouldn't he be in love with her? Maybe this was the reward the Goddess of Time had been talking about. He felt slightly cliched, to have the whole love at first sight thing. He turned to Tael. "Hey Tael, what do you think of Serah?"  
  
The fairy paused. "I'm…not sure. She didn't talk that much, but I felt…something. Why?"  
  
"I think I'm in love."  
  
Silence. Then, "WHAT?!?!? You're pulling a Ruto?!?" Pulling a Ruto was the term that the few people who knew the entire story of Link's quest called for someone falling in love with someone of a different species.  
  
"What? No! I'm not in love with Serah! I was talking about Krys!"  
  
"Ohhhh. Never mind then. Wait, did you say you think you're in love with Krys?"  
  
"No, I know I'm in love with Krys. What do you think?"  
  
Tael said nothing for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure what to think. Congratulations, I guess. Hey, were you insinuating that I might be in love with Serah or something?"  
  
"Maybe. I just thought…"  
  
Tael thought about that. "Maybe I am. Maybe I am."  
  
They found a bunch of berries and brought them back to the clearing. Krys looked hungry. "Finally! What took you two so long?"  
  
"We got sidetracked. Nothing big. When did you last eat?"  
  
"Two weeks ago. I'm famished!" said Serah.  
  
They ate the berries. They were quite good. When they were finished, Krys sat up. "Well, what are we waiting for? Could you please show me the way out of this forest?"  
  
Skull Kid paused. He had a notion, but he would have to ask her. "Hey Krys, I have a better idea."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"You said you were looking for a nicer place, right? I think I know just where you can go to find that place."  
  
She was thoughtful. Serah seemed a bit agitated. "Come on, Krys! I thought we agreed we were heading for Labrynna!"  
  
Krys frowned. "Let's hear out Skull Kid's idea first. So, what's your idea?"  
  
"Why don't you come home with me, to Mesmoria? That's the best place I can think of. You'll be able to fly, and you'll be just like everyone else on the outside. Plus, you can stay in the palace with Tael and me. I'm sure Spryte wouldn't mind. What do you say?" He mentally begged every divine relative of his that she would say yes.  
  
Krys thought a moment. "Well, I was planning on going to Labrynna and getting a job in a casino, but this sounds better. I'm in!"  
  
"Well, all right." Said Serah, looking slightly disappointed.  
  
"Great! You've made a choice you won't regret." Said Skull Kid, trying to keep himself from dancing with glee. "Gather round, and we'll be off."  
  
Krys came closer. "You mean we're not walking?"  
  
"Nah, we're going in style. Watch!" He pulled out his flute and played the Melody of Mesmoria. At first, nothing happened. Then, in the middle of the clearing, a green portal opened. Skull Kid walked over to the edge and moved out of the way. "Ladies first."  
  
She chuckled. "Why don't we go together?"  
  
Skull Kid shrugged. "Sounds good to me." She grabbed his hand. His heart fluttered for a moment. They walked into the portal, their fairies flying after them. The portal closed after them, leaving an empty forest clearing behind.  
  
  
  
1 THE END  
  
And that is the end of the Imp of Fate trilogy. I hope all of you readers out there enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to read my humble story. The tale closes with Skull Kid going into a happier future with his new girlfriend. So Krys711, you don't have to be jealous anymore! Skull Kid is yours! Well, the imp Krys' anyway. But technically, she is you, so he's all yours. Now…what do you all say to a sequel? A new trilogy? I've already got some ideas of my own, but if any of you has any ideas, please leave them in your review. And so, I bid you adieu, for now. 


	16. Afterword

Hi! I know my story is finished, but I just wanted to leave a short afterword. I wanted to mention a little about the sequel, when I actually get around to writing it. It' will be a trilogy as well. Skull Kid and Tael will have to journey to other countries in search of special treasures. Why? Well, you'll just have to see for yourselves, won't you? And no, it has nothing to do with Majora. And yes, Skull Kid will eventually end up in Atlantis. Maybe. Well, you'll just have to see for yourself. I'll be seeing you! Bye! 


End file.
